‘He Would Play as Long as He Could’: Tamizh Amudhan’s Father on Son’s Win Over Vincent Keymer

In Thiruthangal, Tamil Nadu, on a rain-drenched Friday night, while most houses remained unlit due to an outage, eight-year-old Tamizh Amudhan connected to an online chess match, without knowing that it would alter perceptions on how youth talent is viewed within Indian chess.

He was in a simple-rented house, no power, with a candle shining, using his telephone light for the keyboard, and the internet was coming from a hotspot.

On the screen was Vincent Keymer, World No. 7, one of the most promising players in global chess. And Tamizh Amudhan, a Class 3 student, beat him.

The win came in the Freestyle Friday blitz tournament, a format known for speed and sharp decision-making.

Playing with the black pieces in the very first round, Tamizh didn’t just hold his own; he outplayed a grandmaster with an Elo of 2759.

In blitz, where even seasoned players slip under time pressure, composure matters more than anything. That’s where the eight-year-old stood out.

Tamizh Amudhan’s Father On His Son

Apart from the on-screen match, there is also a story off-screen. His father, Sathish Arumugam, had just returned home with him from training when the power went out around 6 pm.

The situation wasn’t ideal for the match. The laptop had only 48% battery left. There was no clarity on how long electricity would be gone. That’s when Tamizh made his call.

Sathish said, “He (Tamizh Amudhan) said he would play as many games as possible till the battery died.”

There was no panic, no second thoughts—just a decision to play.

He managed five rounds before the laptop finally shut down, winning three of them. The victory over Vincent Keymer came right at the start, setting the tone for what turned into a remarkable night.

For Sathish, the moment was more than just a win. He said, “All the hard work and effort we put in, it felt good to see that result.”

And this line sums up a journey that hasn’t been easy.

Tamizh Amudhan’s family moved him from Kallakurichi to Thiruthangal, roughly 350 km away, just so he could train regularly at Hatsun Chess Academy in Sivakasi.

His parents take turns staying with him, managing work and family life around his training schedule.

Tamizh is currently ranked World No. 1 in the Under-9 category. He started playing chess at the age of four and has already picked up four silver medals and one bronze at the 27th Asian Youth Chess Championship 2025.

Coaches in Tamil Nadu’s growing chess circuit see him as part of the next wave coming out of the state that has produced names like Viswanathan Anand and a generation of grandmasters after him.

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