NEW DELHI: In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where Chennai is quickly becoming India’s chess capital, chess is the preferred sport in a nation where cricket is a national preoccupation. Tamil Nadu has produced more than one-third of the nation’s 85 grandmasters, most of whom are situated in Chennai. Gukesh Dommaraju, the youngest chess champion in history, is 18 years old.
At the Fide World Championship 2024 in Singapore in early December, Dommaraju defeated 14-year-old Chinese champion Ding Liren to win the championship. After Viswanathan Anand, India’s first grandmaster and a native of Chennai, won the World Chess Championship five times, Dommaraju is the second Indian to do so.
The Velammal Nexus School, which has contributed to the development of up to 22 grandmasters, including Dommaraju and 2024 Chess World Cup finalist R. Praggnanandhaa, is responsible for the city’s prowess in producing champions throughout the years.
Velavan Subbiah, the head coach of the Velammal Nexus school, told Arab News that chess players are heroes in Tamil Nadu. Instead of spending money on cricket, many in Chennai would rather play chess. Here, Viswanathan Anand established the groundwork. The new hero is Gukesh. His victory in the world championship has motivated the young players to do better.
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