Fifteen-year-old Durban chess talent Shreeya Mahadeo has been chosen to represent South Africa at the Commonwealth Chess Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 8-17 November 2025. Her achievements this year include earning the Woman Regional Master title and being named Junior Female Player of the Year in KwaZulu-Natal. Despite funding hurdles, she aims to showcase South African chess prowess globally.
Shreeya Mahadeo began playing chess competitively at age seven, taught by her father Sebastian, who recalls how she quickly surpassed him. 'My dad used to play chess in primary school and taught me the basics. Within a year my dad could not beat me,' Shreeya told Daily Maverick. Now a grade 10 pupil at Durban Girls’ College, the 15-year-old only child of Sebastian and Sash Mahadeo balances rigorous training with academics in Computer Science, Physical Science, and Maths, as well as hobbies like reading, sketching, exercising, and playing Genshin Impact with her golden retriever Ziggy.
In 2025, Shreeya's progress accelerated: she secured the Woman Regional Master title from Chess South Africa in June and was crowned Junior Female Player of the Year at the inaugural KwaZulu-Natal Chess Awards in August. Her father describes her journey: 'Shreeya always had a curiosity and affinity for puzzles, art and problem solving. She started playing chess competitively at the age of seven and is one of the best players currently in her age group in KZN and South Africa.' He adds, 'We’ve had the privilege of watching her grow from a seven-year-old ballerina picking up a chess pawn for the first time, to becoming a Chess SA Woman Regional Master and one of KZN’s top female players in her age group.'
Shreeya also excels in Smart Mental Arithmetic, winning Champion of Champions at KZN Regionals in 2019, 2021, and 2024, and silver at the 2020 international championships. However, funding shortages limit her opportunities; her parents self-finance tournaments, preventing attendance at the World Cadet & Youth Rapid and Blitz Championship in Greece and the African Schools Individual Chess Championships in Kenya earlier this year. 'Representing South Africa internationally means a great deal to me, my family, school, and community, and as a young female chess player. For me, it means standing on the world stage and saying that South African chess players – especially young women – are a force to be reckoned with,' Shreeya said. The family views her story as one of dedication and resilience, using her platform to support causes like Parkinson’s South Africa.