A tale of grit and determination

Defying all odds

The 33-year-old, who hails from a small village near Kohlapur, Maharashtra, suffers from a chronic bone disease that has left him paralysed since six.

Diagnosed with skeletal flurosis due to the consumption of fluoride-laden water drived from borewells, Nerlikar can neither walk nor sit because of extremely fragile bones and joints locked.

Despite the handicap, Nerlikar never gave up and chose to take up chess.  Self tought, Nerlikar competed in his first tournament in 2002 and won his first title in Pune three years later.

Improving with each passing tournament, he averaged six points every event in 2008 and has currently scored 1,677 FIDE points. With medicine bills burning a huge hole in his family’s pocket, Nerlikar struggles to pay for tournaments and practice.