A nine-year-old British Tamil schoolgirl from Leicester has emerged as one of the United Kingdom’s most promising young chess talents after competing against the country’s strongest female players and defeating a FIDE master along the way.
Tara Tamilselvan, a Year 5 pupil at Fairfield Prep School in Loughborough, has gained national attention following a remarkable performance in the 2025 UK Open Blitz Championships, one of Britain’s most competitive fast-paced chess tournaments.
Tara finished as the top-performing girl in her regional qualifier, earning a place in the UK Women’s Final, a stage reached by only 16 players across the country.
Her qualification placed her among the most exciting young players to watch in British chess.
When the national final took place later that year, Tara entered the competition as the youngest participant by a considerable margin.The tournament featured ten of the country’s top female chess masters and consisted of 15 rounds of rapid games.
Despite the challenging field, Tara recorded two victories and two draws, including an impressive win against a Woman FIDE Master.
“It was a fantastic experience for Tara,” said her mother, Shalini Sathiyaseelan. “She learned so much and gained confidence that will help her in future competitions.”
Her achievement also drew praise from her school.
Head of Fairfield Prep School Andrew Earnshaw said watching her development had been remarkable. “Her ability to hold her own against some of the strongest female players in the country speaks volumes about her talent, determination and composure,” he said.
Tara’s love of chess began at the age of four when she started playing with her parents, who are both software engineers.
“When I was playing them I was jumping up and down because I was getting excited about what they will do,” she says. “I saw a piece - a knight - which can go in an L shape and I thought they all could go like they're in an army.”
She later joined chess clubs while in Year 2, before progressing to private coaching as her skills developed. Now she frequently competes against opponents many years older than herself.
“People are a bit annoyed when I beat them and maybe a bit sad because they lost to a child,” she told the BBC.
“I play much older people - they get a bit nervous. In big tournaments, when we play very fast, they ask 'how can this girl play like this?'”
“And I just keep playing my game and don't worry about others.”
Tara says nerves can sometimes appear when facing strong opponents, particularly online. “When I played online games against a Master I was getting nervous. But then I started playing and I stopped being nervous.”
“Sometimes emotion comes into it. Especially when you make a big move, it can feel emotional.”
“Or when you miscalculate something, it can feel a bit sad. But if you keep playing confidently, you can win. Chess is like a mind game.”
Tara continues to train regularly and compete in tournaments across the UK. She has already set ambitious goals for the future. She hopes to become the best chess player in the world in her age category.
At the same time, she has another long-term ambition. “I want to be a psychiatrist. I want to be able to read people's minds so I can find out my opponent's next move.”
Her mother says the family initially did not realise how far Tara’s interest in chess would take her. “She is very quiet and calm. Whenever she goes to tournaments, she prepares for them because every game is different.”
“She is really enjoying it. She would sit with her dad and talk about tricks and tactics.”