Chess player Aditi Mohanty from Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, April 15: She has learnt to manoeuvre the pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, queen and the king a little too early for her age.

Meet six-year-old Aditi, who is being hailed as the future of chess in the women’s category in Orissa.

Having already won the 1st Bhola Infratech All India Rating School Chess Championship and Ideal Cup in the under-6 girl’s category, she now has her eyes set on bigger tournaments. A Class I student of Stewart School, Bhubaneswar, Aditi was awarded the consolation prize at the under-19 tournament in Nayagarh. But she strived to work harder and was noticed by the doyens of the game after emerging as a champion in the first Bhola Infratech All India Rating School Chess championship (under-6 girl’s category), which concluded recently in Bhubaneswar. “We are proud of her. She is learning the finer points of the game very fast,” said Ashok Mohanty, Aditi’s father.

However, he credits Aditi’s success to her grandfather Prabhat Chandra Mohapatra, who inspired the whole family to support her.

Although Aditi started taking formal coaching in chess only six to seven months ago, she has improved by leaps and bounds and is already giving a tough time to the senior opponents. “We are lucky to have been blessed with such a talented child who is not only a good chess player but also a brilliant student. She always secures more than 90 per cent marks in her examinations. Apart from this, Aditi is a good painter and has won many prizes in various competitions,” said Biswajita Mohanty, her mother.

So far Aditi has emerged champion in two competitions — 1st Bhola Infratech All India Rating School Chess Championship and Ideal Cup in the under-6 girl’s category. Besides this, she was awarded the consolation prize for the youngest chess player in the under-19 tournament held in Nayagarh. She secured three points in eight rounds she played in the under-7 chess tournament held in Cuttack recently.

“It is a big success for a girl who is just six and has a long way to go,” said Durga Prasad Mohapatra, Aditi’s coach recalling the day when he had refused to train Aditi citing time constraints. “I was forced to change my mind when I saw her keen interest in the game and how quickly she was learning,” said Mohapatra.