This coach is taking chess champs head-on

When it comes to chess in India, the legacy of the game in Chennai is built on the history of the clubs, and its continued guidance to budding talents, who go on to become world champions or Grandmasters. They conduct Open Chess tournaments for enthusiasts to play against players of all age groups. One such academy Mount Chess Academy which is run by V Ravichandran and Yamuna Ravichandran, has continuously provided personalised coaching, in addition to conducting tournaments. It hosted the MS Venkataraman Memorial International Rating Chess tournament at New Prince Shri Bhavani College of Engineering and Technology, in which Prasannaa S clinched the title with 7.5 points. The FIDE master remained unscathed, scoring seven wins in a row before drawing in the final round. Winning the tournament organised by Mount Chess Academy, especially the one conducted under the guidance of Ravichandran sir, was a memorable achievement. It helped me demonstrate form, showcased my preparation, and also demonstrated my psychological resilience, said an elated Prasannaa. A noted coach at Chess Nexus, Prasannaa had to encounter some quality players in his pursuit of the title. Facing International Masters like Ramnathan Balasubramaniam and Praveen Kumar C was challenging, and managing to defeat both of them was a remarkable feat for me. It highlighted my competitive skills and mental resilience against better opponents, he said. Now, he has set his eyes on becoming a GM. He also acknowledged his journey towards becoming one is not easy. The path to becoming a Grandmaster is much tougher; it involves reaching a FIDE rating of 2500 and earning three GM norms in international tournaments, which requires consistently beating strong opponents. The process is demanding both mentally and physically, requiring continuous improvement and competing in high-quality events, he said. Participating in tournaments like these has helped him prepare well. These events help refine mental stamina and are stepping stones to higher achievements. Frequent tournaments are critical for improving FIDE ratings and achieving GM norms. Playing with diverse opponents exposes weaknesses and strengths, while wins against higher-rated players provide valuable rating points and norm chances, he added. Prasannaa has no time to have professional training as his coaching schedule is chock-a-bloc. Nevertheless, he wants to improve and keep pushing the bar higher. Currently, professional training under a coach is not part of the routine because much of my attention (time) is directed towards coaching young players at the Chess Nexus Academy. With more than 20 years of experience, the mission has evolved to focus on guiding the next generation to reach goals even greater than previous personal achievements. Despite the added responsibilities of being a new parent to a two-month-old baby and maintaining a busy coaching schedule, daily self-study and personal chess development remain important priorities, striking a balance between teaching and self-growth, said the 28-year-old. He may assume seniority with his experience as a coach, but that does not stop him from getting inspired from those much younger than him. My role model is the young and dynamic World Championship Grandmaster Gukesh D, he said.