Kids show there's life after Viswanathan Anand!

CHENNAI: These kids are not kidding around. They are Tamil Nadu's ninjas – the silent assassins — a few of them having beaten the world champion Magnus Carlsen!
When Carlsen was in Chennai in August on his recent trip for the World Championship match with Viswanathan Anand, he played 20 children in simultaneous chess at MOP Vaishnav college. Out of the 20 games, the kids notched up four wins and six draws against him.
Leading the warriors was young Ram Aravind, a 10-year old from Trichy. "I couldn't believe it first when I beat him. Even my parents didn't believe it. When they confirmed the result, they were the proudest parents in the world. I really hope to defeat him in proper match situation," says World No. 2 in U-10 category.
Aravindh Chidambaram, the World No. 2 in U-14 category, drew his match against Carlsen. He is now chasing his second and third GM norms, having achieved the first en route to winning the Chennai Grandmaster tournament on Saturday.
"I was joking with my mother that I would at least draw the game with Carlsen, if not lose it. I was in a better position and I still offered a draw as I didn't want to defeat my role model so soon," says the 14-year-old, who studies in Velammal school in Mogappair.
The teenager, however, is matured enough not to read too much into it.
"Come on, we are only children. But the man is an icon. It was probably his jet lag that allowed us the positive results," he said.
Grandmaster RB Ramesh, who trains the two Aravinds, is happy with the way they are shaping up. "They are two of the most intelligent students I have ever trained. Their endgame skill is unmatchable. With strong opening, they will be unbeatable," he says. Aravindh, who likes to watch Surya and Sivakarthikeyan's movies, says he wants to become a GM before he turns 15.