Kundapur: Samarth J Rao of Basrur has emerged World Champion by winning the FIDE World Junior Chess Championship for Disabled which was held at Florida in USA from June 22 to 28. Samarth registered six wins in the 7 games in the tournament and lost only one game against Germany’s Jimmer.

Sports Authority of India, Nandi Kannada Okkoota, All India Chess Federation and Chess Federation for Physically Disabled, extended assistance to Samarth to take part in the tournament Samarth had also won gold and bronze medals in the chess tourney for physically disabled held at Slovakia.

Samarth who suffers from cerebral palsy presently stays with his parents in Honnavar, his father Jagadish Rao being a Bank employee there. Interestingly, Samarth started playing chess just in 2013, thanks to his mother Vinutha who was quick to realise that Samarth felt down and low whenever his classmates used to go out to play. She turned out to be his first chess coach and that indeed proved a turning point in Samarth’s life.