For some, chess is a battlefield and for others it is an escape from reality, but for Aarav it has always been deeply personal, something his mother Shipra Dengla describes as “a friend for life,” explaining that with a board in hand, he never truly feels alone — a bond that has now carried the Mumbai teenager to the summit of international chess.
Behind this remarkable ascent lies immense sacrifice, particularly from his mother, who recalls how at the age of six Aarav gained nearly 800 rating points in just four months, leaping from 1000 to almost 1800, winning the national championship soon after and qualifying for the World Championship in Brazil, only for the opportunity to slip away because neither parent could travel with him due to work commitments — a moment that prompted Shipra to resign from her marketing role at Mahindra the very same month so she could ensure such barriers would never arise again.
