I don’t play chess but intellectual envy has sometimes made me wish I did.

That does not stop me however, from taking an interest in goings-on in this world of strategic ‘bodybuilding for the brain’.

And oh my sweet apple sauce, things really HAVE been going on.

Earlier this month, a 10-year-old girl beat an experienced adult player. Not your garden-variety experienced adult player but no less than a Chess Grandmaster. Not meant to happen.

That child genius was British born Bodhana Sivanandan. Her ‘victim’ was 60-year-old British GM Peter Wells.

Not only is Peter Wells a Chess Grandmaster, he has also authored numerous books on elite level chess tactics and ‘stratagems’ (fancy word alert on that one). Sales of his labyrinth-style ‘how to win’ manuals are now understandably expected to bottom out. Rather drastically.

To sizably ratchet up the ‘no way’ factor, on the very same day, 6000 kilometers away in Ohio U.S, another pint-sized junior wizard defeated another Chess Grandmaster.

This time it was the turn of 10-year-old Keya Jha to inflict shock and humiliation on 45-year-old Chess Grandmaster Peter Wells.

If you didn’t know better, looking googly-eyed at just these two beyond-outlandish anomalies, you might be forgiven for thinking gifted ankle-biters defeating grown-ups was an everyday event. Well, no. But it has happened before.

Back in 2014, Boston (U.S) born Carissa Yip became the youngest player in history, aged 10, to defeat a Grandmaster.

Against-the-odds victories are the best, aren’t they!? I reckon these are three of the ga-ga making best.