This little man, Malaysian chess prodigy Genivan Genkeswaran was crowned Champion in the 19th Asian Schools Chess Championships 2025 (U17 Boys) held in Mongolia earning himself the prestigious title of FIDE Master.
From a ninth seed to the pinnacle of success, Genivan's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. With unwavering determination, he conquered six and a half out of seven rounds, showcasing not just skill but the indomitable spirit passed down from his father, Gen Keswaran. This victory is a powerful reminder of redemption and purpose.
Years before Genivan’s victory, his father, Gen Keswaran, once a youth caught in the spiral of violence had turned his life around through the very game his son now masters.
Gen’s story was powerfully captured in the award-winning documentary Wanted: Shades of Life, which went on to win multiple international accolades including the LA Film Award for Best Inspirational Film and the FilmCon Award for Best Documentary Feature.
But Gen never quite got used to the spotlight. “You have an inspirational story,” I once told him. He just smiled softly and looked at the chessboard between us.
“This is my centre,” he said, gesturing around the modest chess studio in Klang where he now teaches children. Rows of chessboards lined the tables, each one representing a new beginning for him and for every child who walked through his doors.
“Chess teaches us everything about life,” Gen began, his fingers moving instinctively over the pieces. “It’s about patience, sacrifice, and understanding that even the smallest pawn can change the entire game.”
That philosophy wasn’t born from theory, but from experience.
Growing up in Carey Island as the eldest of five, Gen’s childhood was marked by hardship. His father, a police assistant, battled alcoholism; his mother worked tirelessly in plantations to keep the family afloat. Violence and poverty shadowed their home, leaving a young Gen desperate for escape.
“I was tired of struggling. Gang life seemed like freedom back then,” he admitted. But what began as survival soon turned into self-destruction fights, arrests, and a sense of hopelessness.
It took a week behind bars, and a compassionate lawyer who saw potential in him, to make Gen realise he needed to change. “That man saved my life,” he said quietly.
After his release, Gen started over, working at a factory, avoiding old habits, and seeking direction. When a company training introduced him to the simple principle of always speak the truth, something inside him shifted.
He began seeking mentors who guided him toward self-improvement, and eventually, one asked him: What are you truly good at?
The answer came naturally, CHESS.
It had been years since he played, but as he began coaching children, everything fell into place. “When I set my intentions, the universe aligned,” he said with a smile. An anonymous donor gifted him 20 chessboards, and soon his classes grew.
But fate had another cruel test. In 2006, his father tormented by alcoholism took his own life. Gen paused as he recounted carrying his father to the hospital, his voice trembling. “Despite everything, he was a courageous man. I think I inherited that courage.”
Two years later, Gen married, started a family, and began coaching full-time. His resilience paid off when he represented Malaysia at the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar, proudly winning a bronze medal.
“I used to seek respect the wrong way,” he said. “Now I earn it by inspiring others.”
Today, his son Genivan carries forward that legacy. Having learned the game by simply watching his father teach, the young prodigy quickly rose through the ranks defeating a Chess Grandmaster at just 13 years old.
Now, at 17, his name is etched among Asia’s finest. Yet, Gen remains humble. “I don’t like talking about my past,” he said. “What matters is what I’m doing now, shaping the future through these children.”
In his modest studio, as he resets the pieces on the board, he reflects softly, “To be a good human being, that’s all I ever hope to be.”
And in that simple wish lies the heart of his story, a man who turned his pain into purpose, and raised a son who turned that purpose into victory.
Because sometimes, life like chess, isn’t about how you start, but how you play your next move.
Source / Image Credit : NST , Chess Master Journey, MKU Malaysia Kalai Ulagam எம்.கே.யு மலேசிய கலை உலகம்