A birthday that changed everything
By Shubham Kumthekar
The year was 2022. It was the fourth birthday of a little girl in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Her elder sister, already a strong chess player chasing her first FIDE rating, was practising on a physical chess board. The four-year-old was intrigued and wanted to touch the creative-looking white and black figurines. Understandably, those around her dissuaded her to avoid disturbing her sister's practice.
Not one to get bogged down, she ran to her mother, eager to explore the world of 64 squares. Within hours, she was already moving the pieces confidently. And from that moment, there was no turning back. Within two months, she had climbed multiple levels on chess apps and platforms, and by age five, she had won the Rajasthan State Under-7 Girls Championship!
Doesn’t every chess game get decided by mistakes? Absolutely. But most players never truly comprehend that they are making the same kind of mistakes over and over again.This little girl is seven-year-old Shreyanshi Jain, who trains at Upstep Academy and recently turned heads at the 2025 Asian Schools Chess Championship in Mongolia. She clinched gold in the Girls' Under-7 rapid section, silver in the classical section and bronze in the blitz section - becoming the only Indian player to win medals across all three formats.
Medals galore! One gold, one silver, one bronze at the 2025 Asian Schools Girls Under-7
But that wasn't all. Earlier this year, she won multiple prestigious titles with perfect scores:
The National Schools title even earned her a special ChessBase India prize - current world chess champion Gukesh's DVD Attack like a Super GM - commemorating his legendary 9/9 run at the 2017 National Schools. Indeed, Shreyanshi has nailed all these stunning achievements in just one year, taking her latest classical FIDE rating past 1500!
Gukesh won his age-group at the 2017 National Schools with a 9/9 score, a feat which was repeated by Shreyanshi earlier this year! She was awarded the special 'Gukesh prize' by Chessbase India for her outstanding achievement
The seven-year-old has been a student at Upstep Academy, an online chess training platform, for the past two years. She joined the academy in late 2023 at the age of 5½ years as someone who already showed a distinct spark. Ever since, she has trained under coach Pankit Mota, rated 2148, who heads Upstep's Student Performance Management department. Describing her, Pankit says:
Shreyanshi is quite sharp. Every class, we dive into the 'why' behind the concepts, derive useful lessons and integrate psychological insights to accentuate the learning. She absorbs new ideas with remarkable speed! At the same time, Shreyanshi is a true fighter on the board, possessing an innate drive and determination.
These qualities, supported by the right guidance, played a pivotal role in her hat-trick of medals at the Asian Schools Chess Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Let's revisit that magnificent run!
Asian Schools Chess Championship 2025
The festival began with the rapid section, where Shreyanshi was slotted as the fifth seed. She put up a scintillating show, winning her first six games, including clutch victories over top seed Venera Zhakisheva and eventual bronze-medallist Sod Delgersaikhan. A loss in the seventh and final round put her in a spot of bother, but her strong performance upfront meant superior tiebreaks, helping her bag a gold for her country!
Shreyanshi's march to the 2025 Asian Schools Under-7 Rapid Chess Championship title
In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM” with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.Next came the classical section, where Shreyanshi headlined as the top seed. Once again, Shreyanshi scored a flurry of victories, racing to a perfect 5/5. A loss in round six to the eventual winner briefly halted her streak, but she quickly got back in the mix, scored 2½/3 across the last three games and duly grabbed another medal - a silver this time!
Her fine performances were then crowned with a bronze in the blitz section, where Shreyanshi played fighting games to finish with 7/9. With this, she had achieved the unthinkable - a medal apiece in the classical, rapid and blitz sections!
On the podium at the 2025 Asian Schools Under-7 Girls Rapid Chess Championship! Shreyanshi bagged a well-deserved Gold | Photo: Asian Chess Federation
A dive into the perfect scores
Shreyanshi's stellar run at the Asian Schools came on the back of an already remarkable year. As mentioned earlier, she had already swept multiple State and National titles with 100% scores, all within 2025 alone. Indeed, it's incredibly rare to see players win coveted events with perfect scores. The opposition is always competitive, and conceding at least half a point is considered normal. Many players are content with a draw in the final round to seal the title. But not Shreyanshi!
Receiving the champion's cheque! Captured at the prize ceremony of the 2025 Nationals Under-7 Girls Championship
Each of Shreyanshi's 100% scores came with its own adventures - a title defence, taking on older opponents or handling crucial games. Yet she not only won, she did so with perfect scores! However, there was one common thread across these tournament victories. It was Shreyanshi's ability to block out the noise that came with back-to-back wins, stay present and take things one game at a time.
One of Shreyanshi's most resounding triumphs: the National Schools Under-7 Girls Chess Championship in January 2025, where she finished a full two points ahead of her nearest competitors!
The lows before the highs
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We often focus only on the peaks when looking at achievers, yet the moments that truly shape them often lie behind the scenes. For Shreyanshi, it wasn't any different. The first such moment came at the National Under-7 Girls Championship in 2024. As many as eight competitors were already rated, while Shreyanshi was unrated. Yet she had a perfect score with seven wins in as many rounds, having just won a crucial game against the top seed, rated above 1700 Elo! However, the last two rounds went unexpectedly - two losses pushed her just outside the podium, and she finished fourth. A good result, yes. But after such a dream start, it felt bittersweet.
Another moment that shaped Shreyanshi came at the FIDE World School Chess Championships 2025, where she was the top seed in the Under-7 Girls section. Despite her top billing, she lost three games and finished fourth again.
These were strong performances, yet not fully reflective of her potential. It was in such moments that her parents and coach stepped in meaningfully. At Upstep, we believe that a strong mindset can make a lot of difference, and her coach Pankit helped her build it step-by-step. In challenging moments, the focus was not on scoring, but on being in the right frame of mind and playing her best chess.
One striking instance was when Pankit inculcated the following in Shreyanshi: "Accha player nahi jeetta, jo accha khelta hai wahi jeetta hai!" ("The best player doesn't win, the one who plays the best wins".) This wasn't just a phrase - it was a mantra that helped Shreyanshi cross hurdles when facing higher-rated opponents or those she would have found challenging in the past. At other times, Pankit helped Shreyanshi divert her attention to lighter aspects, ultimately getting her in the right zone for peak performance.
After a sensational run at the Asian Schools 2025! Shreyanshi with her coach, Pankit Mota from Upstep Academy
Alongside, her parents had just the right approach for a budding talent, especially powered by her elder sister Shreshtha's chess journey. They understood early that patience is a virtue, and that improvement and results are a long-term game. This created just the right environment for Shreyanshi - one where doing the right things took centre-stage and results followed naturally.
The right way to be inspired
There is another aspect about Shreyanshi's mental make-up that I found particularly impressive. Like all of us, Shreyanshi has her own set of favourite players - she proudly mentions Magnus Carlsen, Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh. Quite the list, isn't it? What is remarkable, however, is how she engages with her role models. She learns from their games and videos, draws inspiration from them, but doesn't fall into the trap of idol worship. That distinction matters. Idol worship can make you over-respect opponents and top players, creating the illusion that their level is unreachable. However, true inspiration makes one look up to the greats, take the right set of positives, and propel oneself ahead on the journey to chess improvement.
Shreyanshi in action against Vishy Anand himself at a simultaneous exhibition organized by Upstep Academy | Photo: Upstep Academy
The importance of a great chess environment
Think of a home where everyone reads, and it's hard for a child not to develop a love for books. Think of a home where multiple languages are spoken - the child grows up fluent in them without even realising it. With Shreyanshi, something similar happened.
Shreyanshi's elder sister, Shreshtha Jain, is herself a strong chess player. She has won the Under-13 Asian Schools Team Gold in 2024, the Rajasthan Under-15 Girls Chess Championship consecutively for the past two years, and several podium finishes across state and interschool events.
For Shreyanshi, watching her sister play, practice and win created a natural 'chess atmosphere' at home. A chess board is always set up in the Jain household, ready for a game anytime. Her parents, both doctors and not chess players themselves, have played a wonderfully supportive role. When she was five, Shreyanshi's mother, Dr. Shimona Agarwal, played one game with her every morning before school. At times, she put her own comfort and commitments aside to make sure Shreyanshi never missed a tournament. Her father, Dr. Sushil Kumar Jain, has always been Shreyanshi's pillar of strength. Remarkably, he woke up at odd hours during the Asian Schools (from India!) to help her warm up for the games. These small acts - consistent and loving - have become sources of motivation for both sisters.
Shreyanshi's support system: her sister is her inspiration, her father is her rock, and her mother brings it all together
Training techniques for competitive success
This DVD allows you to learn from the example of one of the best players in the history of chess and from the explanations of the authors how to successfully organise your games strategically, and how to keep your opponent permanently under pressure.Psychology and atmosphere matter immensely, but they must be paired with good training. In this regard, the methods employed for years at Upstep Academy found meaningful application in Shreyanshi's journey. Complementing this, a powerful constant was the trust her parents placed in the process, in the training structure led by Pankit as well as in the recommended tournament choices. They gave the coach complete freedom to plan, refine and execute.
One standout practice was adjusting her training schedule to match her actual game timings in Mongolia. For more than two months, she trained precisely during the hours she would eventually compete. This eliminated any disruption caused by schedule changes and helped her hit the event in rhythm. Shreyanshi also worked on process-based targets given by coach Pankit, something she always enjoys. The idea was simple: do the right things, stay true to the process, and let the results take care of themselves.
If you think Shreyanshi plays chess all day, you would be mistaken. Chess may be a big part of her life, but it is far from the only one. She loves watching cartoons, expresses her creative side through painting and brings out her competitive spark playing cricket. And sometimes you can see her get geeky with Wordles! Some might think that these hobbies take time away from chess, but we believe they add to it. They help her stay fresh, balanced and in the best possible headspace to enjoy her chess.
From the curious little girl who first touched a chess piece on her fourth birthday to the young champion she is today, Shreyanshi's journey is only just beginning. There is so much more for her to explore in our beautiful game, as she continues to learn and grow. A world of possibilities lies ahead - and it's going to be exciting to watch her rise, step by step, up the chess ladder!
Can you match a seven-year-old champion?
Now, let's move to some chess! I have selected five positions for you to solve, where you can test your skills against Shreyanshi's play. All of them come from the Asian Schools.
Have fun solving!
Puzzle 1: Shreyanshi Jain vs Margad Bayasgalan
White to play - Can you find a typical tactic?
Puzzle 2: Enkhjin Enkhbat vs Shreyanshi Jain
Black to play - Find a thematic tactical sequence!
Puzzle 3: Shreyanshi Jain vs Margad Bayasgalan
White to play - White is winning, but what's the cleanest way to win here?
Puzzle 4: Khulan Batbaatar vs Shreyanshi Jain
Black to play - How can Black secure a definite opening advantage?
Puzzle 5: Bayasgalan Baasanjav vs Shreyanshi Jain
Black to play - What's the best way to continue?
Solutions
- White wins material with the straightforward 1.Nxe6 fxe6 2.Qh5+ forking the King and the c5-bishop.
- Black's attack was crowned with 1…Rxe4! Now, you must anticipate White's 2. Rg3, upon which Shreyanshi played 2…Qxg3! followed by ...Nxf2 to bring home the full point. The direct 2…Nxf2 was also possible.
- The check can be escaped via the direct 1.Qxf3, as Black's queen on g5 is under attack.
- Black wants to play 1…f5. While it still gives Black some advantage, White retains the option of 2.Bd5+ Kh8 3.d3. Instead, the best approach is the unorthodox 1…Nb4! that Shreyanshi knew from her preparation. The idea is to prepare f5 on the next move by stopping Bd5+. In the game, after 1…Nb4, there followed 2.a3 f5 3.Bxf5 Bxf5 4.axb4 Bxb4 5.Nxe5 Qf6, with a fantastic position for Black.
- Black need not fear any demons on the a1-h8 diagonal and can safely go 1…Ng4! threatening …Rxf3 due to the checkmate threats on h2. After 1…Ng4, White went 2.exd6, and Black saved everything with 2…Bf6. White responded with 3.d4, when Shreyanshi's 3…Bxd4 was absolutely crushing.
In this course, we will learn how to identify passively placed pieces in any given situation and how to improve their health by bringing them into active squares.
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