<p>The recently-concluded Global Chess League (GCL) witnessed one quarter of the players (9/36) hailing from India. The fact that the country also hosted the 44th chess Olympiad in 2022 and boasts 82 Grandmasters is a testament to its growing stature in the chess world.</p>.Quest for greatness in chess.<p>While the chess boom has meant that the front-runners of Indian chess have been basking in unprecedented glory, a few names inexplicably miss out from popular chess discourse. Aravindh Chithambaram is one such player. </p>.<p>The 23-year-old Grandmaster from Madurai, with a FIDE rating of 2645, Aravindh is currently India number 9 and also the defending national champion in both rapid and blitz formats. However, in a sport where the country's number 2 is a 17-year-old, Aravindh is no longer considered 'young'.</p>.<p><strong>A destined journey</strong></p>.<p>His initiation into chess was quite by accident. One day when a young Aravindh did not find his buddies to play street cricket with, his grandfather taught him chess to keep him engaged.<br>"My grandfather was 80+ and since he could not play physical sports, he taught me chess," recalls Aravindh.</p>.<p>What started as a hobby soon turned serious, with the lad excelling in age-category tournaments both inside and outside the country. His first major milestone was winning the Chennai Grandmaster Open in 2013.</p>.<p>"That was certainly a turning-point in my career as I was not yet an IM," he says. The win helped the youngster pocket his first Grandmaster norm.</p>.<p>The Madhurai lad credits the famed coach GM R B Ramesh for his chess growth. "I have had a long and successful stint under Ramesh sir. He never imposes his will on the players but lets them play their natural game while providing inputs for improvement. This makes him one of the best coaches in the world."</p>.<p>Aravindh has a universal game style with a deadly blend of tactical vision and endgame skills. He is equally at home in complicated middlegame positions as well as those that require patience and positional understanding.</p>.<p>While he has sought inspiration from his favourite player Magnus Carlsen for endgames and outlasting opponents, his creative impulses have a touch of Richard Rapport in them. No wonder, in the spirit of the flamboyant Romanian Grandmaster, the youngster tried the<br>extravagant but objectively questionable Nf3 Nf6 Rg1?! years ago in a tournament game, and won!</p>.<p>Like all seasoned sportsmen, the 23-year-old is no stranger to setbacks. "I was extremely close to winning the nationals in both 2016 and 17 but failed as I lost the final round both times," he laments. But like most champions, he came back stronger, winning the 2018 national championship in style.</p>.<p><strong>Triple champion</strong></p>.<p>The biggest achievement of his career (till date) followed suit. By winning the National rapid and blitz tournaments, Aravindh became the first Indian to be triple national champion - defending champion in all three formats at the same time. Yet, an ever-humble Aravindh underplays the feat. "A lot of strong players were missing from these events. So, I do not want to call myself the triple national champion."</p>.<p><strong>Olympiad setback</strong></p>.<p>The 2022 FIDE Olympiad in Mahabalipuram was a dream come true for every Indian chess fan. While India got to field two teams as the host nation, a third one came their way as there were an odd number of teams. That meant top 15 players by FIDE rating (16 as Vishwanathan Anand opted out) would play for India A,B and C. However, as luck would have it, he missed out of the third team by a whisker, being edged out by GM Abhimanyu Puranik. In spite of the personal disappointment, he was happy that his friend could make it. A true champion off the board too!</p>.<p>His performances have only improved in the days that followed, as he raced to victory in the Dubai open 2022 and later defended the title in 23, emerged victorious in the national team championship 2023 with Airports authority of India (AAI) and registered a double triumph at national rapid and blitz, 2023. As things stand a year later, Aravindh is rated higher than all five players of India C, making one question the validity of the rating-based selection system.</p>.<p><strong>Financial support</strong></p>.<p>Aravindh, whose father passed away when he was very young, credits his mother for his achievements. "My mother has always supported me in my chess journey. Since she was totally onboard with my professional ambitions, it became easier to make the decision."</p><p>Having faced several financial hurdles throughout his career, he remains grateful to Microsense private ltd, Muragappa group and ONGC for sponsoring him. Although he is currently under a scholarship programme of AAI, he is yet to find a permanent government/public sector job.</p>.<p>The youngster has his eyes set on the 2700 rating landmark but wants to enjoy the game at the same time, saying results will follow once the game is at the right place.</p>
<p>The recently-concluded Global Chess League (GCL) witnessed one quarter of the players (9/36) hailing from India. The fact that the country also hosted the 44th chess Olympiad in 2022 and boasts 82 Grandmasters is a testament to its growing stature in the chess world.</p>.Quest for greatness in chess.<p>While the chess boom has meant that the front-runners of Indian chess have been basking in unprecedented glory, a few names inexplicably miss out from popular chess discourse. Aravindh Chithambaram is one such player. </p>.<p>The 23-year-old Grandmaster from Madurai, with a FIDE rating of 2645, Aravindh is currently India number 9 and also the defending national champion in both rapid and blitz formats. However, in a sport where the country's number 2 is a 17-year-old, Aravindh is no longer considered 'young'.</p>.<p><strong>A destined journey</strong></p>.<p>His initiation into chess was quite by accident. One day when a young Aravindh did not find his buddies to play street cricket with, his grandfather taught him chess to keep him engaged.<br>"My grandfather was 80+ and since he could not play physical sports, he taught me chess," recalls Aravindh.</p>.<p>What started as a hobby soon turned serious, with the lad excelling in age-category tournaments both inside and outside the country. His first major milestone was winning the Chennai Grandmaster Open in 2013.</p>.<p>"That was certainly a turning-point in my career as I was not yet an IM," he says. The win helped the youngster pocket his first Grandmaster norm.</p>.<p>The Madhurai lad credits the famed coach GM R B Ramesh for his chess growth. "I have had a long and successful stint under Ramesh sir. He never imposes his will on the players but lets them play their natural game while providing inputs for improvement. This makes him one of the best coaches in the world."</p>.<p>Aravindh has a universal game style with a deadly blend of tactical vision and endgame skills. He is equally at home in complicated middlegame positions as well as those that require patience and positional understanding.</p>.<p>While he has sought inspiration from his favourite player Magnus Carlsen for endgames and outlasting opponents, his creative impulses have a touch of Richard Rapport in them. No wonder, in the spirit of the flamboyant Romanian Grandmaster, the youngster tried the<br>extravagant but objectively questionable Nf3 Nf6 Rg1?! years ago in a tournament game, and won!</p>.<p>Like all seasoned sportsmen, the 23-year-old is no stranger to setbacks. "I was extremely close to winning the nationals in both 2016 and 17 but failed as I lost the final round both times," he laments. But like most champions, he came back stronger, winning the 2018 national championship in style.</p>.<p><strong>Triple champion</strong></p>.<p>The biggest achievement of his career (till date) followed suit. By winning the National rapid and blitz tournaments, Aravindh became the first Indian to be triple national champion - defending champion in all three formats at the same time. Yet, an ever-humble Aravindh underplays the feat. "A lot of strong players were missing from these events. So, I do not want to call myself the triple national champion."</p>.<p><strong>Olympiad setback</strong></p>.<p>The 2022 FIDE Olympiad in Mahabalipuram was a dream come true for every Indian chess fan. While India got to field two teams as the host nation, a third one came their way as there were an odd number of teams. That meant top 15 players by FIDE rating (16 as Vishwanathan Anand opted out) would play for India A,B and C. However, as luck would have it, he missed out of the third team by a whisker, being edged out by GM Abhimanyu Puranik. In spite of the personal disappointment, he was happy that his friend could make it. A true champion off the board too!</p>.<p>His performances have only improved in the days that followed, as he raced to victory in the Dubai open 2022 and later defended the title in 23, emerged victorious in the national team championship 2023 with Airports authority of India (AAI) and registered a double triumph at national rapid and blitz, 2023. As things stand a year later, Aravindh is rated higher than all five players of India C, making one question the validity of the rating-based selection system.</p>.<p><strong>Financial support</strong></p>.<p>Aravindh, whose father passed away when he was very young, credits his mother for his achievements. "My mother has always supported me in my chess journey. Since she was totally onboard with my professional ambitions, it became easier to make the decision."</p><p>Having faced several financial hurdles throughout his career, he remains grateful to Microsense private ltd, Muragappa group and ONGC for sponsoring him. Although he is currently under a scholarship programme of AAI, he is yet to find a permanent government/public sector job.</p>.<p>The youngster has his eyes set on the 2700 rating landmark but wants to enjoy the game at the same time, saying results will follow once the game is at the right place.</p>