Kumar defeated World No. 1 Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa of India.
An Indian American student from Miami, Florida, Nikhil Kumar – an eight-grader at Ransom Everglades – has won the World Cadets Chess Championship, under-12 division.
The tournament, held from October 18-31 in Batumi, Georgia – a country which was part of the former Soviet Union – saw Kumar finish first in a field of 137 students from 36 countries.
“There were 11 games, and I won eight of them and tied three,” Kumar said, reported WSVN-TV. “It’s an achievement, but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to like stop playing. I’ll continue doing what I’ve been doing for the past four years.”
Local 10 – affiliate of ABC News, reported Kumar came in as the underdog, but defeated No. 1 Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, of India, who at 10 became the youngest person ever to claim the title of chess International Master.
Kumar also defeated Andrew Hong, who is the No. 1 ranked under-12 player in the U.S. Kumar ranked 25th at the start of the competition.
“Becoming the world chess champion seemed like a dream just a few months ago but hard work made this dream become a reality,” Kumar said. “When I was at the podium and the national anthem was played, I felt that I represented the country and Team USA well.”
Kumar flew back to the U.S. on Halloween and returned to middle school on Tuesday.
“We were thrilled to hear of Nikhil’s success in the chess world championships,” head of the middle school Rachel Rodriguez said. “He is talented and hard-working, and has represented Ransom Everglades with class and dignity. We are proud to welcome him back to our campus today.”
Besides chess, Kumar’s favorite past times include playing the violin, tennis and participating in Mathcounts at Ransom Everglades.