India, March 8 -- Pranav Venkatesh was five-and-a-half years old when he first laid eyes on an intriguing chess set. He was visiting a relative in Chennai and there was a chessboard set up with pieces shaped like animals. Pranav watched as his father, Venkatesh, lost to his eight-year-old cousin in the games they played.

Once they returned home, Pranav badgered his father for a similar chess set. They hunted for it, had little luck, and eventually bought a regular one and Venkatesh taught his son how the pieces move. "I was particularly fascinated by how the knight moves," Pranav says. "I enjoyed the game because of the calculation and my love for chess just kept growing."

It's been less than a day since the 18-year-old from Chennai was...