'Chess kept me away from Class X exams'

Says Grandmaster Koneru Humpy about how chess consumed her student days and she almost quit school in Class VI to focus on her favourite game

Chess is all that I know of, all these years. Right from the age of four, I have been engrossed in the world of chess. At home, nobody speaks about anything except chess. My father was a chess champion even before I was born. So it was natural for me to fall in love with chess before I knew what it was all about. I did have childhood, but with different connotations; I did have student life, but with atypical undertones.

Up to Class IV, I attended school regularly. In Classes V and VI, I attended school only for half days. I used to practice chess the rest of the day. Later, I joined Chalapati Residential School at Lam, Guntur to study Class VII. But I never attended classes as chess practice consumed a chunk of my time. My mother used to keep the notes ready for the final exams. I would just read the notes and write the examination. The same pattern continued for two more years for the examinations of Class VIII and IX.

I could not attend my Class X final exams due to continuous chess tournaments. When I was 15 years, I became the Grandmaster - not a mere woman Grandmaster. I was the youngest woman to achieve the Grandmaster at that time. So that is where my student days ended in terms of academics.

However, I've always been a student on the move. Traveling became my new teacher. At the age of ten, I undertook my first trip abroad. I participated in the chess tournament at Cannes, France. So far, I have travelled to 50 countries. In this new leap of learning, I keep on meeting new people and try to understand their way of living and the different cultures.

So, I did not lose the pleasure of being a regular student. I enjoy playing chess. I enjoyed my childhood by playing my favourite game chess. I feel excited and even thrilled when I beat men in the game. In 2007, in Netherlands and Luxembourg where men players also played, I won the championship which was not a mean achievement.

Of course, there were disappointments, when I lost the game in the second round of women's world championship in 2006. Again in 2008, I have reached the semi finals but lost to Chinese player Hou Yifan. I think that only people with the 'killer instinct' become good chess players.

I felt elated when I won the gold medal for the country during Asian Games at Doha in 2006. In fact, I won two gold medals one individual and the second for the team. I received Padma Shri award for that achievements in 2007. I am looking forward to participate in the Grand Prix on June 15 at Armenia.

(As told toM V Syam Sundar)