NEW DELHI: Last week, 13-year-old FIDE Master (WFM) Flegete Bordoloi created history for India in Montesilvano, Italy. Competing in the 2026 FIDE World Youth Chess Championship, the young girl from Bengaluru won the silver medal in the girls’ under-18 category.Coming in as the 16th seed with a FIDE rating of 2129, the Shishya BEML Public School student produced a sensational unbeaten campaign, picking up 9 points in 11 rounds against players up to five years his senior.India fielded 13 players across the six sections, but Plogetee returned home as the country’s lone medalist, securing her first WIM norm and scoring more than 129 Elo points. Behind this historic podium lies a fascinating duality and perhaps the story of a quiet, introverted teenager who treats chess endings like mathematical equations, balances all the strings of life and shares an unusual birthday with a chess legend.
Connection with Kasparov
The follower was born on April 13, 2013, exactly 50 years after the legendary Garry Kasparovwho was born on April 13, 1963. Aside from their shared birthday, her coach, Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, notices clear tactical similarities.“Some of the traits I see. Even in a bad state in a tournament where she is behind by a point or something, she plans well to try to win so she can be on top,” Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction.
Six-time world chess champion Garry Kasparov
However, Thipsay stresses that Pratitee is far from a one-dimensional athlete, adding: “Pratitee is not entirely a chess player. She is a math whiz and tops every exam.”Her mother, Pranti Dutta Bordoloi, recalls how her daughter’s journey unfolded organically during the COVID-19 pandemic.With no rigorous formal training, the 9-year-old trainee shocked everyone by winning the 2022 Karnataka National Championship, followed by the under-9 national title in Indore six months later.“She was still very good at calculation, math,” Pranti told this website. “She held the math olympiad since first grade and won a gold medal at SOF IMO. Only then did I think she should be good at chess too, because she is good at the math olympiad.”Despite her rapid rise, her family remains deeply committed to the down-to-earth life. “Honestly speaking, we are not the kind of person who ‘leave everything for chess’. Our first preference is always studies. “Not at the cost of studies, because ultimately you have to be educated, otherwise life will not be balanced.”
Focus on independent thinking
“Compared to her age group, she is much more mature as a person, and her logic is very high,” Thipsay noted. “If you tell her something is good or not good, she won’t blindly accept it. She questions until she’s satisfied, and that persistence is very important.”This analytical way of thinking makes her a rare commodity in junior chess. “She’s one of the few players who doesn’t get bored studying endings or finding the right moves because she finds it very logic-based. Mathematically, she’s very sound,” the veteran grandmaster added.During last year’s Cadet World Cup, where Plogee secured gold in the girls’ under-12 category, she established a unique system with Thipsay. She preferred to rest immediately after the matches, waiting for the tournament pairings to be announced late in the evening.
Current coach Follow Bordoloi Pravin Thipsay (PTI Photo)
“After the pairing, which is around nine o’clock there, which means 10:30 p.m. Indian time, she would say, ‘I want to have a one-hour class or an hour and a half,’ and we would study,” Thipsay revealed. “She’s so thorough in her preparation … she wants to learn everything about the position.”This hyper-focus allows her to think independently on the board. “Dr. Lasker (Emanuel Lasker) said it’s a coach’s duty to teach students to think independently. She has that capacity,” Thipsay said.
Keeping pieces grounded
Despite the increased attention, Followee maintains a strict personal discipline, balancing a 9- to 10-hour sleep cycle with physical training using a punching bag and cycling.With her mother having a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Christ University and her father working at a leading IT company, Flögtie was raised to ensure that competitive ruthlessness remained confined to the chessboard.
Follow Bordoloi at the FIDE Youth Chess Championship (special deals)
“I always told her that if you win too, just don’t show your happiness in front of your opponent because she must feel really terrible at that time,” Pranti shared.READ ALSO: The making of India’s 97th chess grandmaster Harshavardhan GB: A ‘legend’ among friends, now the pride of his parentsDuring a recent media interaction, the 13-year-old was asked about her future. “She gave two answers,” recalls the mother proudly. “One was: ‘I want to be world champion’. And another time she said nicely: ‘I just want to play well.'”
