NEW DELHI: Last week, 13-year-old Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Follow Bordoloi created history for India in Montesilvano, Italy. Competing at the 2026 FIDE World Youth Chess Championship, the Bengaluru-based youngster won the silver medal in the Under-18 Girls category.Entering as the 16th seed with a FIDE rating of 2129, the Shishya BEML Public School student produced a sensational unbeaten campaign, scoring 9 points over 11 rounds against players up to five years older than herself.India fielded 13 players in six sections, but Flétee returned home as the country’s lone medalist, securing her first WIM norm and earning more than 129 Elo rating points. Behind this historic podium lies a fascinating duality and perhaps a story of a quiet, introverted teenager who treats chess finals like mathematical equations, balances all the matrices of life, and shares a strange birthday with a chess legend.
The Kasparov connection
Flétee was born on April 13, 2013, exactly 50 years after the legendary Garry Kasparovwho was born on April 13, 1963. Beyond the shared birthday, their coach, Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, notes distinct tactical similarities.“Some of the traits I see. Even in a bad condition in a tournament where she is behind by a point or something, she thought well to try to fight so that she can make it to the top,” Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction.
Garry Kasparov, six-time World Chess Champion
However, Thipsay insists Pratitee is far from a one-dimensional athlete, adding: “Pratitee is not completely a chess player. He is a mathematical wizard, and comes first in all exams.”Her mother, Pranti Dutta Bordoloi, recalls how her daughter’s journey developed organically during the COVID-19 pandemic.Without rigorous formal training, a 9-year-old student shocked everyone by winning the 2022 Karnataka State Championship, followed by the Under-9 National title in Indore six months later.“She was always very good at calculations, at math,” Pranti told this website. “She used to give Maths Olympiad from the first grade and she won a gold medal in the SOF IMO. At that time I only thought that she must also be good at chess, since she is good at Maths Olympiad.”Despite his rapid growth, his family remains very committed to a grounded life. “Honestly, we’re not the kind of person who, ‘leave everything for chess alone.’ Our first preference is always studies. Not at the cost of studying, because in the end 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 the logic base is very high,” Thipsay said. “If you tell her that something is good or not good, she will not accept blindly. She asks until she is satisfied, and that perseverance is very important.”This analytical mindset makes it a rare commodity in junior chess. “He is one of the few actors who is not tired of studying the ends or discovering the precise movements because he finds a lot based on logic. Mathematically, he is very sound,” added the veteran Grandmaster.During the Cadet World Cup last year, where Flétee secured gold in the Under-12 Girls category, she established a unique system with Thipsay. He prefers to rest immediately after his matches, waiting until the pairings of the tournament are published late at night.
Follow current Bordoloi coach Pravin Thipsay (PTI Photo)
“After the pairing was out, which is about nine o’clock here, which means 10:30 pm Indian time, she would say, ‘I want to have a class of one hour or a class of one and a half hours,’ and we used to study,” Thipsay revealed. “She’s so thorough in preparation…she wants to learn everything about a position.”This hyper-focus allows them to think independently on the board. “Dr. Lasker (Emanuel Lasker) said that the duty of a trainer is to teach students to think independently. She has that ability,” said Thipsay.
Keep the pieces on the ground
Despite the growing focus, Flétee maintains strict personal discipline, balancing a 9- to 10-hour sleep cycle with physical training with plenty of punching and cycling.With her mother holding a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Christ University and her father working at a leading IT company, Flétee was raised to ensure that competitive ruthlessness remains confined to the chessboard.
Follow Bordoloi at the FIDE Youth Chess Championship (Special Arrangements)
“I always had to say that even if you win, just don’t show your happiness in front of your opponent because it must feel very horrible at that time,” shared Pranti.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. “He gave two answers,” his mother recalled proudly. “One was, ‘I want to be a world champion.’ And the second time he said well, “I just want to play well.”