Gone are the days when students only focused on how many marks can they score and where to secure admission after school, or which stream to choose after class 10. Students these days have moved away from being singularly focused on board exams, and one such example of this is Nimay Agarwal who not only cleared his CBSE class 10 exams but has also managed to ace it in the field of Chess. Agarwal, a 16-year-old has scored an impressive 98.4 per cent in CBSE class 10, while ensuring that his rankings in International Chess keeps increasing.

An International Candidate Master and Western Asian medalist, Nimay represents the new generation of students who are not choosing between academics and sport, but are mastering both.

One would assume that to achieve this impressive CBSE result alongside winning Chess championships may require a lot of time management and balance. When asked if Nimay splits his time equally between studies and Chess to ensure neither suffers, he quickly replied that he doesn't split his time equally, but believes in design the day intentionally.

"I don’t try to split time equally—I design it intentionally. Using my 3Ds—Determination, Direction, and Discipline, I stay clear on priorities, plan each day with purpose, and execute consistently. I micro-plan subjects and training blocks based on timelines and confidence levels, so nothing is random," he said. "A key enabler is the close coordination between my father and my school, where schedules, travel, and academics are aligned proactively. The school has often gone out of the way to support these plans."

One of his main strategies is to concentrate on the task in hand. "When I study, I study fully; when I train, I train fully. Presence, not just hours, creates balance," he explains.

Alongside studies and chess, he also prioritises fitness, recovery and downtime, which he believes are crucial for sustaining performance across both domains.

At the core of Nimay’s journey is a simple but powerful loop: learn → apply → review → improve.

He believes consistency matters more than intensity. “Stay curious, trust the process, and be consistent—even on ordinary days,” he says. According to him, outcomes naturally follow when one focuses on improving their level steadily.

Unlike many students his age, Nimay did not have a fixed schedule as his day-to-day routine changed as per his daily task. On some days, his focus was chess, while on other days he focused on catching up on his school work, where his school (VIBGYOR High, Gurugram) helped him. "My routine isn’t fixed by hours—it is shaped by clear targets which are dynamic thus the day routine, but everything has to be planned based on what is coming or is important on a given day. I plan in advance with discipline, execute with consistency, and ensure balance through fitness, recovery, and downtime. It’s about structured intent, not rigid timing," he added.

However, even without a fixed schedule, Nimay's preparation strategy doesn't falter as he believes in keeping things clear. For Nimay, staying focused is the key to achieving on's goals. “I don’t think about pressure in isolation. I focus on execution—the next question, the next move,” he says. This approach helps him stay grounded and avoid overthinking during high-stakes moments.

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