Checkmate! Deviprasath taking crown as chess champion

“I managed to win. After the last game, I walked out with no reaction. I was starstruck,”  Coppell High School junior Chess Club president Sharvesh Deviprasath said.

Chess pieces have molded Deviprasath’s life ever since his mother, Aruna Deviprasath, saw the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer and fell in love with chess, propelling her to enroll her son in lessons before he entered kindergarten.

A born natural, Sharvesh first tournament followed shortly after. The recurring childhood experience of walking into conventions and coming out with an award became the root of his motivation. 

As Sharvesh’s skills and experiences expanded, his sights were set on being one of the best in the country for his age group: a dream now fulfilled. 

At the start of 2022, Sharvesh was selected to be part of the U.S. national team for under 16 chess players, which took him to play in Romania against individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Along with the national recognition, Sharvesh has been acknowledged by celebrities, personally tutoring chess to Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, last year. 

Though he was nationally selected, the dream was far from over. From being one of the top five chess players in the nation, Sharvesh tied first for individual play, winning the championship out of more than 300 competitors during the 2023 National High School Championships in Washington D.C.

“I have grown so much as a chess player after this competition,” Sharvesh said. “The whole game my opponent Sandeep Sethuraman, an international master, was beating me. He was on [the] edge. He was the one who was pushing to be champion.” 

The action-tight game was resolved by a psychological draw against Sethuraman, a close friend of Sarvesh, and with a chance that proved to be the critical move as greed overcame the game. Sandeep bet too much too fast, playing into Sharvesh’s strategy, who turned the game in his favor in the last few minutes. 

“As a chess player, he’s a fast thinker.” Chess Club junior Jayden Chui said. “Since games have time limits for each player, he can gain a time advantage in most of his games by thinking faster than his opponent.” 

The key to the win, though, according to Sharvesh, was the Chess Club, composed of his closest friends, cheering for him throughout his play.

“As I played, I felt my team watching me, and that’s what drove me,” Sharvesh said. “What makes me love playing chess is the team element of it, coaching and watching my friends and teammates winning and working together to improve.”

As the president of the Chess Club, Sharvesh has not only grown in leadership but in close friendship with his team members. Bonds formed through long hours of mentoring chess and analyzing each other’s moves. This support he received from his teammates created motivation for him to strive for the best and bring back a trophy for the team.

“He is the Chess Club.” Coppell Chess Club sponsor Ray Pool said. “He is the one that organizes the meetings and sets an example, he studies the game, and it is very important to him that people play chess.” 

Through his continuous efforts to make the people around him grow as a team and his contribution to make the Chess Club advance towards nationals, he has shouldered the motivations of his team members in the Coppell-chess community. 

“He always helps us out; he will analyze our games and figure out what we can improve,” junior Sidarth Shenoy said. “Even if we lose, he always looks at the positive side and tells us that we can do better. He truly understands the potential of each teammate. He has a lot of experience, and this always allows him to transfer success to us because he knows the game rules and can articulate that to us.”

Being a national champion and leading has instilled growth not only in chess experience but his everyday problem-solving skills. Through the continuous implementation of critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, Sharvesh develops strategy in his social and academic experiences. 

“Everything is a calculated risk,” Sharvesh said. “Chess applies to all aspects of life, even by playing a little, I learn so much.”

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