PORTFOLIO

MY NAME IS

IFQA

I'M A ChessAddict

IFQA

Yoooo!

I’m IFQA, and I’m 15 years old.

I’m a high school student with a deep interest in chess, physics, and first-principles thinking. I enjoy learning how systems work, whether it’s on a chessboard, in science, or in real life, and constantly questioning the status quo.

I’m currently focused on building discipline, clarity, and intellectual depth, especially in academics and strategic thinking. Chess plays a big role in my life, it sharpens my focus, patience, and decision-making under pressure.

Alongside that, I explore creative outlets like blogging, reading books on self-improvement, and playing the guitar, using them as tools to think better and express ideas more clearly.

My long-term goal is clear: to join the Indian Armed Forces, specifically through the NDA and the Indian Air Force, because I genuinely enjoy challenging, adventurous, and risky pursuits that push me beyond my limits.

At the core of everything I do is a simple principle: continuous self-improvement. I want to build a life based on discipline, learning, and meaningful contribution.

I enjoy brainstorming, deep thinking, and working on ideas that strengthen my cognitive abilities. I’m not perfect—I get distracted sometimes—but I always find my way back to the work that matters.

When the world slows down, you’ll usually find me either thinking deeply, studying something intriguing, or playing a game of chess. 🤜⚔️♟️

MY PHILOSOPHY

These are not beliefs I inherited. These are conclusions I arrived at by thinking.

SCHOOL ≠ EDUCATION

Education is the process of understanding reality. School is a system designed to manage large numbers of people. Confusing the two is one of the biggest intellectual mistakes society makes.

Schools reward obedience, repetition, and predictability. They penalize curiosity, deviation, and mistakes. But real learning works in the opposite direction. You understand something deeply only when you struggle with it, break it, question it, and rebuild it in your own mind.

Mistakes are not failures of intelligence. They are evidence that learning is actually happening. Yet schools train students to fear mistakes, because mistakes affect grades, rankings, and approval. This creates people who optimize for safety instead of understanding.

The result is predictable: students learn how to follow instructions, not how to think. They learn what to memorize, not how to reason. And once school ends, many people stop learning entirely because they were never taught how to learn on their own.

Education does not live in classrooms. It lives in books you choose to read, problems you voluntarily struggle with, and questions you refuse to ignore. School may exist, but education only begins when independent thinking does.

RELIGION ENDS THE QUESTION

The human mind evolved to ask questions. Every major advancement in knowledge came from refusing to accept “this is how it is” as a final answer.

Religion introduces a stopping point. It does not say “think further.” It says “believe.” And once belief replaces reasoning, questioning becomes unnecessary, uncomfortable, or even forbidden.

I am not claiming certainty about God. I am comfortable with not knowing. What I reject is the idea that uncertainty should be filled with stories that are protected from scrutiny. Any idea that cannot survive questioning does not deserve unquestioned acceptance.

Religion relies heavily on inheritance. Most people believe what they were born into, not what they reasoned themselves into. That alone should make any thinking person pause. Truth should not depend on geography, family, or tradition.

I am drawn toward physics, logic, and rational thinking because they welcome doubt. They improve through criticism. They don’t ask for faith — they ask for evidence. I would rather live with unanswered questions than accept comfortable answers that end my thinking.

Being wrong after thinking independently is better than being “right” because the crowd agrees.

MY LEARNING STACK

Tools, frameworks, and mental systems I use to think, decide, and improve.

FIRST PRINCIPLES

I reduce problems to their fundamental truths and reason upward instead of relying on assumptions or surface-level explanations.

NO ONE IS CRAZY

Every belief or action makes sense from the actor’s internal logic. Understanding perspectives matters more than judging them.

POWER LAW

A small number of inputs drive most outcomes. I focus on the few things that matter disproportionately.

SIMPLICITY

Clear, minimal solutions outperform complex ones. Complexity is often a sign of unclear thinking.

DUE DILIGENCE

I verify claims independently. I separate facts from opinions before acting on information.

SELF-EXPLANATION

If I can’t explain an idea clearly in my own words, I assume I don’t understand it well enough yet.

SYSTEMS > GOALS

Goals are temporary. Systems are permanent. I design processes that produce results automatically over time.

COMPOUNDING

Small consistent actions create exponential outcomes. Patience is a competitive advantage most people lack.

WHO INSPIRES ME

People whose mindset, work, and audacity I admire, follow, and learn from.

Elon Musk

ELON MUSK

Elon taught me to break problems to the core, work insanely hard, and chase what most think impossible.

Steve Jobs

STEVE JOBS

Jobs’ obsession with perfection, simplicity, and blending art with technology inspires me every day.

Ahtisham Asif Tantray

AHTISHAM ASIF TANTRAY

Taught me discipline, power of systems, problem solving, fueled my curiosity, and showed how to challenge norms without fear. A true rebel with a purpose.

Anvi Chaturvedi

ANVI CHATURVEDI

Anvi’s achievements show that curiosity, creativity, and grit can redefine what’s possible at any age.

Gunjan Saxena

GUNJAN SAXENA

Saxena’s courage and trailblazing in a male-dominated field teach me to take risks and stand firm.

Arjan Singh

ARJAN SINGH

Achieved the impossible through courage and vision, inspiring me to aim higher and never accept limits.

Mikhail Tal

MIKHAIL TAL

Tal’s fearless, creative, and aggressive approach to chess reminds me that boldness beats safety.

Emanuel Lasker

MANOJ BANIYA

The best gift life ever gave me— a presence that turned every struggle into a lesson, & every game into a memory.

Bobby Fischer

BOBBY FISCHER

Fischer’s discipline, independent thinking, and dominance at chess prove mastery comes from obsession.

Viswanathan Anand

VISHWANATHAN ANAND

Anand’s longevity, precision, and calm under pressure show how preparation and mindset matter.

Judit Polgar

JUDIT POLGAR

Judit broke barriers in chess, proving skill and willpower surpass social limits and expectations.

José Raúl Capablanca

JOSÉ RAÚL CAPABLANCA

Capablanca showed that genius lies in simplicity. His effortless understanding of chess positions taught me that mastery comes from clarity, not complexity.

MY FAVORITES

The things I love and can’t live without.

📖 BOOK

THINK STRAIGHT

Simple logic. Ruthless clarity.

♟️ CHESS PLAYER

MIKHAIL TAL

Chaos guided by genius.

👤ENTREPRENEUR

ELON MUSK

Let's conquer Mars.

🎵 MUSIC

DRIVE + GIVE ME MERCY

Feels like entering a new world.

🎙️ ARTIST

THE WEEKND

Micheal Jackson of this era.

🏏 SPORT

CHESS / CRICKET

Lives in my blood.

🎬 MOVIE

SHUTTER ISLAND

Nothing is what seems.

📺 WEB SERIES

THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT

A mind built for checkmate.

⚡ CARTOON

SHINCHAN

Childhood chaos nostalgia.

🎮 GAME

MINECRAFT

Fun playing with friends.

📺 CONTENT CREATOR

CHESSBASE INDIA

Making India a chess nation.

🎓 SUBJECT

PHYSICS & MATHS

Logic behind the universe.

🎸 INSTRUMENT

GUITAR

Hands speaking through strings.

✈️ JET

SU-30, F-22, F-35

Air superiority. Fear engineered.

📖 BOOK

THINK STRAIGHT

Simple logic. Ruthless clarity.

♟️ CHESS PLAYER

MIKHAIL TAL

Chaos guided by genius.

👤ENTREPRENEUR

ELON MUSK

Let's conquer Mars.

🎵 MUSIC

DRIVE + GIVE ME MERCY

Feels like entering a new world.

🎙️ ARTIST

THE WEEKND

Micheal Jackson of this era.

🏏 SPORT

CHESS / CRICKET

Lives in my blood.

🎬 MOVIE

SHUTTER ISLAND

Nothing is what seems.

📺 WEB SERIES

THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT

A mind built for checkmate.

⚡ CARTOON

SHINCHAN

Childhood chaos nostalgia.

🎮 GAME

MINECRAFT

Fun playing with friends.

📺 CONTENT CREATOR

CHESSBASE INDIA

Making India a chess nation.

🎓 SUBJECT

PHYSICS & MATHS

Logic behind the universe.

🎸 INSTRUMENT

GUITAR

Hands speaking through strings.

✈️ JET

SU-30, F-22, F-35

Air superiority. Fear engineered.