Nine-year-old chess prodigy faces visa battle to stay in UK A nine-year-old chess prodigy who faces a visa battle to stay in the UK has been invited to make the […]

A nine-year-old chess prodigy who faces a visa battle to stay in the UK has been invited to make the “first move” at a World Championship match.

Shreyas Royal, known to be the “most promising player of his generation”, has lived in the UK since he was three but faces being sent back to India when his father’s work visa expires in September.

The nine-year-old star has been tipped for the very top of the game.

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His parents, Jitendra and Anju Singh, moved from Bangalore to Woolwich, southeast London, in 2012, when Shreyas was three.

Terrible situation

Mr Singh, 38, an IT project manager at Tata Group, was offered a fixed-term contract in the company’s UK office but on 10 September his work visa will expire.



Mr Singh, who is appealing to the Home Office on the grounds that his son is a national asset, said: “Shreyas’s life is here – he has roots. It will be a massive shock for Shreyas. He will not be able to continue his chess, it really is a terrible situation.”

Shreyas learnt to play chess at an after-school club, and has gone on to become the world’s youngest “candidate master”.

The sport’s international body World Chess has stepped in to give Shreyas the honour – usually reserved for world leaders or VIPs – of making the first move in the upcoming match featuring world champion Magnus Carlsen this November.

The match, which is to take place in London, is seen as the pinnacle of the sport.

Mr Singh added: “Shreyas dreams of being the next Magnus Carlsen, what an honour it would be for my son.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.