How the Kapoor family’s passion for chess began amid son’s cancer battle

SINGAPORE – It is clear that chess is a family affair for the Kapoors.

Brothers Satvik and Tanush both play the game, their mother Shomita is a chess coach and the family of four often travel together for overseas tournaments.

So it was no surprise to see Shomita and her husband Rishi seated in the stands at Our Tampines Hub on Nov 28, cheering on their sons as they collected their trophies at the National Age Group Chess Championships.

Satvik, 16, claimed the Under-20 title, while Tanush, 13, finished eighth in the U-14 category. The tournament is part of the Singapore Chess Festival, held in conjunction with the ongoing Fide World Championship.

The national championships featured 692 participants, including 566 from Singapore and players from India and China, among others.

“It really means a lot because it’s the national championships,” said Satvik, who won seven and drew two of his games at the tournament.

“I was the runner-up last year, so there was definitely more motivation to win this year so I just practised harder.”

Chess is not just a passion in the Kapoor household – the game has also been a source of comfort as the family weathered some tough times.

A decade ago, Satvik, who was then six, was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Rishi, an IT professional, said: “It was completely devastating for us because we never had a cancer history in our family, so it was something that was very shocking.

“The journey has taught us a lot of lessons like to never give up and that there’s always hope.”

The couple learnt of his condition after they discovered bruises on his body while he was nursing a fever.

They initially thought he had suffered them during a fall, but checks at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital revealed that his platelet count was very low and his white blood cells were multiplying abnormally fast.

Satvik began chemotherapy and was eventually cleared of cancer two years later. It was during his treatment that a trip to India inadvertently kick-started the Kapoors’ obsession with chess.

During that visit, Satvik played chess with his cousins and his parents decided to let him continue the game when they returned home. They then approached the Singapore Chess Federation to seek proper training for him.

Within his first year, he was beating more experienced players.

His enthusiasm for chess spread to his family members, with his younger brother Tanush also picking it up, while Shomita went into coaching.

Rishi, 48, said: “It became a passion for all of our family. We travel throughout the world, wherever the chess tournaments would happen we would take him.

“So that diverted his mind more into the sport. It healed and it helped him get more interested in chess.”

Aside from Satvik’s U-20 title, Singapore’s chess players also emerged triumphant in eight other categories at the five-day age group championships.

India claimed the girls’ U-12 and U-14 trophies, while China was first in the girls’ U-8.

While she finished first in the girls’ U-10, Singaporean Audelle Sim was disappointed as she felt she could have won the Open title in her age group.

The 10-year-old Northland Primary School pupil said: “I’m feeling very sad because I didn’t get first overall... (Some of the challenges I faced were) preparing against other people and I also felt scared (for some of the games).

“I just focused and told myself that I could win the game.”

U-8 Open champion Lucas John Wee was happy to have achieved his goal of claiming the national title.

The Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) pupil is dedicated to the game, training up to four hours a day on weekdays and eight hours on weekends.

He may be only eight, but Lucas is clear about what he wants.

When asked about his chess goals, he said: “To be a grandmaster by at least 12 or 13 years old and to be a world champion.”