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An Irish player so young he cannot read or write is astonishing the chess world by taking on opponents more than twice his age.
At the tender age of 5, Shane Melaugh is being hailed as a prodigy, and has already become the youngest person to represent Ireland
as a member of the under-12s team.
Shane, who comes from the Donegal border and has just finished his first year at primary school, has attracted widespread attention for what is described as his "quite exceptional" talent for the game. He is also described as "a nice kid".
The boy, taught to play at the age of 3 by his grandfather, quickly displayed both a passion for chess and a precocious natural talent. Experts who have observed him predict he will go far in the game.
His chess coach, Alan Turnbull, says: "Shane is very talented for his age and has beaten much older pupils. He has a very good grasp of the game, and in terms of his talent he is very much above anyone I have taught."
Mark Quinn of the Irish Chess Union says that in addition to his natural talent the boy has tremendous focus and concentration. "He's a completely normal 5-year-old, yet he's completely obsessed with the game. He loves it."
The emergence of an Irish chess prodigy is all the more unexpected in that the country has produced no players of international note and is more associated with physical activities such as rugby, soccer and Gaelic sports.
It has no homegrown grandmasters, its only player of that rank being a Russian who moved there some years ago. Chess does, however, thrive at school level, where 10,000 young people are said to be involved.
Shane's mother, Linda, said yesterday: "He's very, very smart. He learned to play quite fast, he has a natural type of grasp. He's just a normal kid, but as soon as you put the chessboard in front of him he's a genius."
His primary school was at first hesitant about accepting him into the chess club because he was so young, since players generally join around the age of 8. But after a few games, teachers realised, according to one tutor, that "this wee boy has really got something here".
His mother says he is able to describe possibilities for three or four moves ahead. He is not upset at losing a game, she says: "He's very competitive. If he loses, the first thing out of his mouth is - 'I'll play you again.'
"He doesn't want to play all day, every day but he won't go to bed until he has a game of chess. He can beat me easy, and now he can beat his father. He can't even read or write and he has been picked to play for Ireland."
Mrs Melaugh recalled: "My father would play chess and when Shane was a baby he would pick up the chess pieces and play with them. And then when Shane was around 3 my dad taught him how to set the board up and he learned how to play."
Chess experts say the careers of young prodigies are difficult to predict, and can be affected by elements such as the maintenance of a high degree of interest. Some talented players may lose enthusiasm as the years pass.
At the moment however there are no signs of a potential loss of interest on Shane's part.
His grandfather, Peter McGrath says : "He never has to be forced to play - he is always forcing me to get the board out. Instead of his cornflakes he wants a game."
Shane himself, when asked why he plays chess, replies, "I just do."
With touching youthful eloquence, he says of his pastime: "I love it up to heaven."
- Independent