Eagle Era

How Rishab Sehgal (12) transformed chess on campus

By Jonathan Wang

Rishab Sehgal (12) scans the chessboard looking for an opening to attack. He smiles, sliding his queen across the g-file. Checkmate. While chess is usually thought of as a nerdy hobby that requires logical and strategic thinking, for Sehgal, it is also a way for him to connect with others.

Sehgal was introduced to chess at an early age by his father, Manish Sehgal, who said, “I started teaching him because it was a good way for us to spend time together and to teach him important skills, like patience and smart decision-making.”

And for a while, that’s all chess was to Sehgal—a fun way to make memories and spend time with his dad. He said, “At the time, I didn’t really enjoy playing chess itself. Over time, my interest lessened, and I started spending more time on other hobbies, so chess naturally took a backseat in my life.”

But in eighth grade, Sehgal began seeing other people play chess online, slowly igniting a deep passion. “I started watching a YouTuber named GothamChess, who inspired me to learn more and play online myself,” he said. “I fell in love with the game; it is so fascinating—every move, every tactic—how they all come together to form such an amazing and interactive game.”

At his peak, Sehgal reached around a 1600 rating, putting him in the 98th percentile of over a quarter billion users on Chess.com, the largest internet chess platform in the world. His mother, Jaya Seluja, said, “He would play for hours a day, watching videos and practicing puzzles. I think it helped him learn to deal with frustration whenever he lost games or struggled with learning new tactics.”

Sehgal examined his position in an intense over-the-board game of chess (Photo Credit: Jonathan Wang (12)).

However, there were also times when Sehgal found it difficult to stay consistent and engaged. He said, “I would quit playing for months sometimes because other things in my life would come up, and I felt I wasn’t actually getting better. The worst part is how isolating it can be when you’re hunched over the computer playing against faceless names online.”

So after nearly 2 years of studying openings, analyzing games, and constant practice, Sehgal’s focus shifted to forming an official chess club at AHS. Aditya Das (12), one of Sehgal’s close friends, helped him set up Chess Club and eventually became its treasurer. “When we were freshmen, Chess Club was a sub-club of the E-sports Club due to a lack of management. Rishab assumed a leadership role, and we filled out a charter which was accepted,” he said.

Sehgal’s motivation to form Chess Club primarily stemmed from his desire to interact and collaborate with others. He said, “I wanted to meet other people who enjoyed chess so I could learn from them. I found chess to be really fun and engaging, so I knew others would too, and I could introduce it to them.”

But in the first months, Sehgal felt woefully unprepared to maintain his responsibilities as club president. “I wasn’t a good leader at that time. In our first meeting, I was intimidated because I didn’t know what to do or say, and everyone was looking at me for direction as president,” he said. “The first tournament we hosted was mayhem because we didn’t organize it well enough. Everyone was coming to me with questions that I wasn’t prepared to answer.”       

Gradually, Sehgal learned and grew from his early missteps. “It was pretty challenging since it was a whole new experience. I had to confront learning what true leadership meant, juggling all sorts of duties, and building a good team of officers,” he said. “But even though I’ve learned a lot, there are still things I could have done better, like getting more upperclassmen and girls interested in chess since they don’t make up a large part of our membership.”

Sanushya Subramaniam (11), who joined Chess Club as a freshman and is now an officer, said, “As a freshman and a girl, I was worried about fitting into the club, but Rishab was very approachable. As I became more involved, he encouraged lots of open discussion and genuinely considered the thoughts of everyone when making decisions.”

Chess Club members played matches during a lunch meeting. “I wanted to build a community where kids, high schoolers, and parents could all befriend each other, and I knew it could all be done through chess,” said Sehgal (Photo Credit: Rishab Sehgal (12)).

Other members have also commented on Sehgal’s friendliness. Wesley Guo (12), an avid chess player and member of the club, said, “He constantly checks on everyone to see how they’re doing and is always willing to play a match. He’s challenged me countless times, even though he hasn’t beaten me yet. He’s created a very special environment where you can feel everyone just wants to have fun.”

Sehgal’s passion eventually led him to create a nonprofit organization called Golden Bay Chess Foundation that aims to provide free chess tutoring sessions for youth, hosting meetings twice a month at Centerville Library and Fremont Main Library. He said, “I found out the chess club at my elementary school got shut down, so I wanted to build a community where kids could learn creativity and problem-solving while also becoming friends and forming connections.”

Sehgal sees chess not only as a hobby to be enjoyed but also as a way to find fulfillment through the relationships he has built and the sense of unity among his fellow chess players. “Chess cuts through all cultural boundaries—any label you put on yourself—because anyone can play chess,” he said.