'My opponents get annoyed when they lose to a child'

"People are a bit annoyed when I beat them and maybe a bit sad because they lost to a child."

At just 4ft 2in (130cm), nine-year-old Tara keeps cool as a cucumber when she faces seasoned chess players in tournaments.

She recently competed in the 2025 UK Open Blitz Championship qualifier, where she finished as the top performing girl in the tournament and made it to the Women's Final.

The prodigy from Leicester says she is hoping to become the best chess player in the world in her age category.

Tara says she started falling in love with the game at the age of four and her first opponents were her parents, who are both software engineers.

"When I was playing them I was jumping up and down because I was getting excited about what they will do," she says.

"I saw a piece - a knight - which can go in an L shape and I thought they all could go like they're in an army."

Tara started going to chess clubs in Year 2 but is now privately tutored.

"I play much older people - they get a bit nervous. In big tournaments, when we play very fast, they ask 'how can this girl play like this?'

"And I just keep playing my game and don't worry about others," she says.

Tara shows no sign of stopping anytime soon, and is constantly training or playing opponents online.

She admits she does get nervous sometimes.

"When I played online games against a Master I was getting nervous. But then I started playing and I stopped being nervous.

"Sometimes emotion comes into it. Especially when you make a big move, it can feel emotional.

"Or when you miscalculate something, it can feel a bit sad. But if you keep playing confidently, you can win. Chess is like a mind game," Tara adds.

She says she will never stop playing, however she would like to become a psychiatrist one day.

"I want to be a psychiatrist. I want to be able to read people's minds so I can find out my opponent's next move," she says.

Tara's mum Shalini Sathiyaseelan says she did not think her daughter was going to become a chess prodigy straight away.

But as the young girl kept on playing, she said she could see something "grow inside her".

"We thought we could support her, get her a coach and get her to the next level," Mrs Sathiyaseelan adds.

"She is very quiet and calm. Whenever she goes to tournaments, she prepares for them because every game is different.

"She is really enjoying it. She would sit with her dad and talk about tricks and tactics."

Head of Fairfield Prep School in Loughborough, Andrew Earnshaw, says watching Tara's development in chess has been "truly amazing".

"To qualify for the Women's Final at such a young age is extraordinary, and to hold her own against some of the strongest female players in the country speaks volumes about her talent, determination and composure."