World Cup dreams come true for rising young chess stars

Two 11-year-old Aucklanders are excited to compete in the Chess World Cup later this month.

Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju and Luna Lu will compete in the Under 12 Open and Under 12 Girls competitions at the FIDE World Cup in Batumi, Georgia.

Having won numerous titles in New Zealand and abroad, the pair aren't unfamiliar names in the domestic chess community.

Sai will make his debut at the world cup, while Luna competed at the inaugural tournament last year.

Born in Madanapalle, India, Sai came to New Zealand when he was 7 months old and was introduced to chess by his grandfather at the age of 6.

"When I started chess, I was playing with my grandfather, and I used to lose to him consistently. Then I got my determination to beat him and eventually I did," Sai said.

"And also, my uncle. He used to beat me even after I started beating my grandfather. That's where I got my real chess play after beating both of them."

His recent achievements include second place in the Asian Championship in Australia in 2023 for Under 12 and a gold medal for under 10.

Sai said he attended club nights at different places around Auckland every week and did puzzles and read books to prepare for the competition.

"I'm nervous, but I'm confident," he said. "I'm hoping to at least get in the top three."

Sai said lessons could be learnt from chess.

"It teaches you about patience and it helps you in real life as well," the 11-year-old said. "I want to go in business when I grow up and there's a lot to do with business chess. If you know chess well, then you can make good moves in business."

Sai's mum, Vyshnavi Bandi, said representing New Zealand was a "dream come true" for the young boy.

"When he was 7 years old, I can still remember that he wanted to represent New Zealand," Bandi said. "He wanted to go out of the country. ... I'm very proud of him."

Luna Lu came to New Zealand from Hangzhou, China, when she was 2 years old.

She became intrigued by chess pieces when the then-8-year-old was reading a book about board games during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Although Luna haven't been playing chess for long, she has won a lot of awards.

Luna came ninth in the world cup in Georgia last year.

"I remember the food was really yummy. ... It was like a buffet, and every day it was like different food, so you don't get bored of it," Luna said.

"I think maybe now that I'm older, I think I might feel more confident than last year."

Luna's mother, Sandy Wen, also expressed pride in her daughter, noting that she worked hard for the opportunity.

"I always feel that chess is like a calm and wise guide, gently leading Luna to discover more possibilities on her journey of growth," Wen said.

"She has learned to face challenges bravely, to be tenacious in difficult situations and not to give up easily. ... These qualities are more precious than winning or losing and will make her more confident and resilient in life.

"I didn't like setting a high expectation for her. ... I think as long as she is doing her best and she is having fun, that's great."

Auckland Chess Centre president Bruce Wheeler said chess had become more popular in New Zealand in recent years.

"More people realise it gives their children a form of advantage, helping them to learn about concentration, discipline, competition, visualisation and the rewards of hard work," he said.

Wheeler said it was "excellent" that Sai and Luna were going to this event, and his advice was to "play hard".

"The only thing you can control in the game is how much effort you put in," he said.

New Zealand Chess Federation president Craig Hall said it was an honour that New Zealand was invited to participate in the world cup.

"Just qualifying at all is difficult and is a testament to the work put in by players, parents, coaches, clubs, volunteers, the New Zealand Chess Federation Council, sponsors and donors," Hall said.

He also said both Sai and Luna were "very strong juniors with excellent results in NZ tournaments".

"It's a tough field - making the top 10 would be a very strong performance," he said.