The story of Delhi's latest International Master Daaevik Wadhawan

Chess is a team game!

I love writing about a player’s journey. Have I said it before in any article? I don’t remember. But I guess I will keep repeating it again. :) Every chess player has a unique story. Their stories motivate me personally, and my favourite part is always seeing how their families support them! It feels like we are all part of one big extended chess family, made up of many small, close-knit units. These units, the families of players, work tirelessly to help them reach their goals. And in our own ways, we all contribute to that same larger dream.

Today, I want to share the story of Daaevik Wadhawan, a 16-year-old talent from Delhi, who has recently joined the ranks of India’s International Masters.

Daaevik’s story began in 2013 when he saw his father playing chess on the computer. As a curious child, he asked his father to teach him chess. Tables turned, and his father now watches him play! Just a few months after picking up the basics, Daaevik participated in his first tournament: the National School Chess Championship. He finished ninth in the Under-5 category, but more importantly, it was here that he discovered the wider chess world: professional coaches, chess clocks, and his rivals like Ilamparthi and Bhagat Kush, who would cross paths with him again in the years to come!

For most of his career, Daaevik didn’t have a regular coach. He learned through books, online resources, and by analysing his games. But a few people did help him improve along the way. In 2016, he met his first coach, Chandan Mandal, who introduced him to the Caro-Kann, an opening he still plays today. Working with GM Debashis Das proved to be a turning point in his career. Under his guidance, Daaevik jumped from an Elo of 1810 to over 2350!

Since early 2024, he has been training under GM Srinath Narayanan.

Srinath Narayanan sir, has been a true mentor, guiding me through everything from tournament selection to recovering from poor form by sheer power of his belief in me. His support has been like a lighthouse in my chess journey, helping me navigate through troubled waters. - Daaevik shares.

Srinath is equally appreciative of his student:

“Thanks to Daeevik’s discipline and attitude, my role was simply to guide him and point him in the right direction. I’m proud to have such a wonderful student, and I sincerely wish that he continues to scale greater and greater heights.”

GM Swayams Mishra’s group classes have also made a difference. “I strongly recommend these classes to aspiring chess players,” the new IM says. In fact, one of the ideas he learned in these classes helped him earn the IM title. “Daaevik attended some of my group classes and consistently stood out for his strong calculation skills and eagerness to engage. It’s great to see him achieve the IM title. I was especially glad when he shared that an idea discussed in class helped him win a game — a clear sign of his ability to apply concepts effectively,” adds Swayams.

Daaevik was more of a tactics and dynamic player in his early years. That helped him climb from a rating of 1070 to around 1600. But breaking through higher rating barriers requires more positional understanding. The shift is not easy, but it makes players more complete and stronger to adapt to different styles and positions. Daaevik worked on this very hard, and as Srinath points out, “What struck me immediately was his excellent positional understanding. He is responsible, sincere, and dedicated. His diligent work ethic, supported by his brother, who is a fine player himself, makes him particularly well-suited for strong opening preparation.”

Here comes the role of Daaevik’s elder brother, Esshan Wadhawan! A strong player himself with a rating of 2149, Esshan put his own tournaments on hold due to his studies and also to support Daaevik’s chess career. From late-night preparation before rounds to decisions under pressure, Esshan has been there every step of the way. He has seen Daaevik at his highest highs and lowest lows. He has been the one to offer solutions when a game needed a fresh approach. He is the one who keeps spirits up when the results are disappointing.

Over the years, the brothers have developed a unique rhythm of studying together, discussing ideas, and pushing each other to think deeper. Sometimes the preparation has gone on until the early hours of the morning, with little time for rest, but those long nights have often paid off on the board. Daaevik’s IM title is a shared milestone for Esshan. He is proud of the journey THEY have walked together!

Their father, Alok Wadhawan, credits much of this progress to the bond between the brothers:

“We could manage without a coach for this long, as his elder brother Esshan was donning the hat of his sparring partner and guide. Esshan’s presence and constant discussion and evaluation helped in dismantling Daaevik’s strong biases about some openings and structure,s and helped in keeping him on track of self-improvement. Without this, his chess journey could easily be lost over time.”

Daaevik’s mother, Monika Wadhwan, accompanies him to events, and like every mother, she ensures that Daaevik is well-rested, well-fed, and focused. She keeps him grounded and never lets success get to his head.

His father manages the financial aspects of Daaevik’s chess career. He recalls the difficult years:

“I am the sole earner for the family, and we had two players playing simultaneously in the family, we could barely manage to continue the expensive game of Chess over the years. Due to a lack of funding by Govt. in year 2017 (despite his Nationals Bronze medal), Daaevik had to opt out of Asian Youth 2017 Tashkent as we could not arrange the required funding. Later when Govt. sent him to represent India at the WCCC Brazil, he was again about to miss it due to inordinately high expenses of accompanying parents to be funded by the player’s family only. But as destiny would have it, he scored 142 ELO points in National Under 15 ( aged 8 years) at Jalandhar, and then we decided to send him at all cost. However, he was just 8 years old, so I had to borrow money for my own travel/stay expenses to accompany him to WCCC, Brazil 2017.”

Thankfully, Daaevik received support from Jindal Steel Limited in 2023 for his training.

I am grateful to M/s Jindal Steel Limited (JSL) for their support to my chess. I certainly owe a large part of my chess transformation (to the master level) to their timely support as my first GM classes were arranged only after their support and I gained 500 Elo points and my first IM norm immediately after. - Daaevik shares.

Daaevik is equally grateful for his school, BBPS Pitampura, for its constant encouragement and flexibility during tournaments. He specially mentions his former Principal Ms. Meenu Goswami and current Principal Ms. Sonia Chhabra have celebrated his achievements like their own, making sure academics never became a roadblock to his chess ambitions.

When asked about how he manages stress during tournaments, Daaevik mentioned:

It’s easier said than done. The pressure can be overwhelming, but I’ve learned that fixating on the result can be counterproductive. As my father always says, I try to focus on the process, not the outcome. My ultimate aim is to be a Super GM, and mastering this principle is key to getting there.

Daaevik also shared three of his best games from different events. Put yourself in his shoes, would you have found the same moves?

Daaevik is undoubtedly one of the promising young talents in Indian chess. We hope he continues to succeed and achieve many more milestones in his chess journey!