More than a game: Laois Chess prodigies Tarun and Trisha masters of destiny

TO many, chess is more than a game – it is an art with a rich history, one that stretches back centuries, or a science based in logic, with a vast expanse of moves and methods to best your opponent. Laois-based siblings Tarun (21) and Trisha (20) Kanyamarala choose to see it as a sport; one defined by endurance.

"It requires a lot of mental strength”, says Tarun. “In other sports, especially team sports, you always have the excuse to say, ‘so-and-so teammate didn't perform on this day’ … However, in chess you're the only person to be blamed or to be credited for your successes or losses.” The siblings need not worry about a lack of success, though. Between the two of them, they have racked up countless wins and accolades at home and abroad.

The pair were introduced to the game as children by their father, Daya. “Our dad taught us the basic rules”, says Trisha. “At first, I wasn't really interested”.

Trisha initially thought chess “very boring”, finding she did not have the patience to sit and learn how to play. She preferred checkers and Irish dancing.

Tarun, by contrast, took to the game quickly. “He was curious about how the pieces move”, reflects Trisha.

“It felt it was much more complicated, with so many different pieces, compared to draughts,” says Tarun.

Every weekend, Tarun and his dad would go to a chess club in The Curragh where they would play people of all ages. Trisha would tag along to watch. What eventually occurred was a classic case of sibling rivalry.

“My brother started to get a lot of attention from my parents, I was kind of feeling left out”, says Trisha. “I really wanted to beat my brother … I thought, ‘OK, maybe I should try learning this game. I never knew that it would become a big part of my life today.” The siblings have been playing consistently ever since. They eventually gained enough experience to start competing in international tournaments in 2014.

In 2019, Tarun won silver in the Under-15 category of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World School Individual Championships in Antalya, Turkey.

“That was my first major breakthrough”, he reflects.

In March 2022, Tarun became Ireland’s youngest International Master at the age of 17, beating the previous record established in 1998. Two years prior, he defeated chess grandmaster Georg Meier, a player with a higher point rating, at the Dublin Gonzaga Masters.

Trisha says her first breakthrough came when she earned her first Woman International Master norm.

A norm is a standard of strong competitive performance. It is required for players to achieve titles such as Grandmaster (GM) or International Master (IM).

“For a Woman International Master, we need three norms and a specific rating,” explains Trisha.

Earning her first norm made Trisha take chess more seriously. She earned two more and, in 2020, aged only 14, she became Ireland's first Woman International Master. Her achievement earned her the attention of then-President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, who sent her a letter.

When she became a Woman International Master, Trisha earned her first Woman Grandmaster norm as well. Earning the title of Woman Grandmaster became her next target.

“I thought it would be quick”, she laughs.

Trisha earned her second Woman Grandmaster norm in 2023, after braving COVID lockdowns and the dreaded Leaving Certificate.

The journey to her final norm was difficult: “The more I started to chase it, the more it went away from me. I thought, ‘maybe I should just quit this’, because it was just too much at some point, the pressure.” Trisha earned her final norm in December 2025, in the London Chess Classic Open, earning her the title of Woman Grandmaster, becoming Ireland’s first in the process.

Trisha and Tarun are both competing this month in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Hotel Stockholm North by First Hotels Young Talents Tournament.

“It's a closed invitational tournament”, explains Tarun, who is playing in the Grandmaster norm. Trisha is playing the International Master norm tournament.

This comes very soon after Trisha’s title win in December. “We're playing tournament after tournament” says Tarun. “That's what it really takes to stay at the top.” Tarun acknowledges that it can be very difficult for younger players to join tournaments as they require travel and can up to five or six days to complete.

“We're really lucky”, he says. “In each phase of our chess career we had very supportive people. I’d like to mention our secondary school, Portlaoise College, as well. Leaving that many days out of school is tough, but we had a really understanding school … Very supportive.” It was the support he received in school that allowed Tarun to become Ireland's youngest International Master at 17. The previous record holder had been 19, earning it just after secondary school.

“I would always suggest that upcoming players speak with their school, find a way to play more tournaments, but at the same time, when they get back to school, do schoolwork as well.” Tarun and Trisha sometimes get paired in tournaments. “It’s always a hard moment”, jokes Trisha.

At their most recent tournament in Drogheda, a two-day event, they were paired in the 13th round out of 15. It was a draw for spectators.

Says Tarun: “When we play against each other, it's not about who is strong on that day, but who is more mentally ready to play, because that even applies to the top chess players as well, when they play.

“They play multiple times against each other, throughout the year, but it always kind of depends on who's the last one to hold their nerve until the end and not make the final blunder.” Tarun currently holds a marginal plus score over Trisha, not that anyone is counting.

The interest in chess is growing, inspired by recent moments in pop culture such as The Queen’s Gambit, a Netflix coming-of-age miniseries starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a chess prodigy and, more recently, Irish author Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo, which similarly features a chess genius as one of its central protagonists.

Chess playing has boomed in Ireland as a result, says Tarun.

What is it, after so many years, that brings the siblings back to the game time and again?

“I really enjoy the process of studying chess”, says Trisha.

She continues: “Whether I win, whether I lose, it just gives me this joy which I didn't find in any of the other things that I did … Whenever I'm at the board, I'm really happy to just be there and play the game.” For Tarun, it is to do with the strategy involved in playing.

“I love to work with statistics, probabilities … Many people don't know what happens before a game, but there's a lot happening.

“Let's say it’s five hours before you're going to play the round, if you know your opponent, you can check their games, their past history, their winning rate, their drawing rate, and come to a conclusion – what’s the best opening or what strategies can I use against him to increase my chances of winning?

“Chess is an incredibly complex game … The possibilities on, I think, the second move are 100 to the power of 120, so it's almost infinite possibilities. You have to narrow down the best choices.

“I love that I can use my analytical thinking on the board and even off the board.” Trisha and Tarun’s love for the game has extended to the realm of business. In 2023, they co-founded a chess technology company called Ireland Chess Technology Limited. Based out of the Enterprise Centre in Portlaoise, the start-up provides software for chess, general IT solutions and chess coaching.

What advice would the siblings give to a young person looking to emulate their success in the game?

“Start by playing with your family, friends, if you can”, says Tarun. “If you can’t, there's a huge community online as well, on Chess.com or Lichess. Then, when you're really good at it, try to find a chess club as well.

“If you can find a community chess club, there's just nothing better than that.” 

“The start will be tough” says Trisha. “But once you get into the game, each win will help.”