Kings of the castle

Chess brothers are kings of the castle 
Wednesday, 13 February 2013

CHESS prodigies Avi and Aman Gogna can already dispatch their parents with ease, now the brothers’ fiercest rivalry is with each other.

At nine years old and with several junior chess titles under his belt, Avi, from Whetstone is something of a seasoned pro compared to his eight-year-old sibling, Aman.

But after his dazzling display at the Hertfordshire Junior Chess Championships, where he took first place, Aman is catching up on his older brother, who finished fourth among around 50 competitors.

The junior champs, who go to Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Elstree, have spent the last three years taking part in competitions around the country, and are now regulars on the chess circuit.

“It is a lot of work for them,” said mother Leelu, 43. “They spend one night a week practising with a master chess coach and our weekends are spent going to competitions around the country.”

Mrs Gogna said she originally introduced the boys to chess to help with their problem-solving skills, and had no idea they would take to it so quickly.

“It is a very good game to play,” she said. “It helps make you a more well-rounded person. But they are very good.

“Avi is still the better player, and wasn’t feeling well last week. But Aman is getting better.”

The pair are set to put their sibling rivalry aside next month, when they both represent Hertfordshire at the English Primary Schools’ Chess Association under 9s championship.

“They are very happy as they’ve just been selected,” said their proud mother. “They were selected last year so we are pretty happy.”

Source: http://www.barnet-today.co.uk