Chess without stress: Mantra of GM Shyam's school
CHENNAI: In a city that's producing chess prodigies and record-breakers at a dizzying speed and with parents rushing to turn their children into the next Gukesh or Pragg, coach Shyam Sundar, a Grandmaster is choosing a quieter revolution.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Rather than bowing to the pressure of creating champions, the Chennai coach has built his academy –
Chess Thulir
(meaning 'a young leaf') – as a space where young players can learn to love the game without the weight of expectations. And, in an era where chess can be learned and played from anywhere, thanks to the convenience of online platforms, Shyam saw the importance of offering something more.
'I've been training a lot of students online for over a decade, but it was during the pandemic (2021 to be precise) that I realised the true need for offline training,' Shyam told TOI.
With the rise of AI and digital technology, chess is becoming more of a computer-based sport, and Shyam understood the toll it was taking. 'Players rarely even step outside or go out in the sun anymore. And some of the kids are either pampered or kept in a strictly controlled environment. When they come to the academy, I want them to be completely free from any stress.
'Seven hours (10am to 5pm) are dedicated to chess, but after that, we play cricket or badminton for two hours.
More often, they look forward to the second half of the day. It's a chance for them to enjoy a game without pressure. What's hurting to see is that some kids, due to parental pressure and fierce competition, don't even talk to each other. That's not the case at my academy, I want my players to have the helping mentality and bond well. Chess should be fun, not a race to break records,' said Shyam, who was the coach of the Indian team at the 2023 FIDE World Cup.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Building an academy in Chennai which is a home to some of the best-established training institutions in the country was never going to be easy. And the challenges didn't end with physical and logistical hurdles; Shyam also had to navigate a landscape filled with competition, misleading promises, and difficult dynamics.
'At times, some of my students couldn't even mention my name as their trainer due to various factors.
This kept happening every now and then. They could be training with other coaches…I really have no idea. Also, a few people had come forward to sponsor the academy and some students here, but it hasn't materialised till now. It's painful,' said Shyam, who is currently training over 50 students at his academy in Perambur.
The fruits of Shyam's dedication are slowly starting to show as his students edge closer to elite status.
Last week, S Aswath earned his maiden GM norm at the Grenke Open, while M Anees became an IM (International Master) at the same event. In March, V Pranav, whom Shyam has been training for the past 18 months, was crowned World Junior Champion.
It's not just local talent either; players from Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Kashmir, including the region's only IM, Soham, have come to Chennai to train under him.
'It is tough, but you learn to keep going, especially when you see your students succeed.
I have a larger goal, and because of it, I'm accepting these kinds of setbacks and focusing on the bigger picture. We have world-class level players and it will show. Because of some negative incidents, I can't let my good ones be overshadowed,' said the 32-year-old coach.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
KL Rahul Sends Direct Message To Gautam Gambhir With Brilliant Ton As Opener
KL Rahul scored a century, making 116 runs in the 2nd unofficial Test against England Lions. Rahul's innings included 15 fours and one six, showcasing his batting prowess after five months. India A ended Day 1 at 213 for three, with Rahul contributing significantly to the team's total. Star batter KL Rahul dazzled with a commanding century on Day 1 of the 2nd unofficial Test between India A and England Lions in Northampton on Friday. Playing his first red-ball game in nearly five months, Rahul opened for India A ahead of the upcoming Test series against England. He reached triple figures in the final session after England Lions captain James Rew opted to bowl at the County Ground. Rahul dominated the Lions pacers during his stay in the middle and didn't let his confidence break. Rahul was eventually dismissed for 116 (168) by Josh Hill. He hit 15 fours and one six during his knock. Earlier, India A reached 213 for three at tea with Rahul unbeaten on 93 while Dhruv Jurel was also batting on 37. In a prolonged second session to make up for the lost time and overs in the opening one, Indian batters made merry on a sporting track with none of the Lions bowlers barring Chris Woakes (3/30) being able to make any inroads. India lost only one wicket in the second session in the form of Karun Nair (40), who was trapped leg-before by Woakes. Rahul made a watchful 93 off 143 deliveries as he hit 12 fours and a six, putting on a sturdy 89-run stand for the third wicket with Nair after India were rocked early.. But after Nair's dismissal and particularly after crossing his fifty, Rahul took the aggressive route to move close to a triple-figure mark while putting on an unbeaten 87 runs for the fourth wicket.. England all-rounder Woakes, playing in this contest to get some game-time and prove his fitness after he was named the Test side for the opening match of the five-Test series against India, seemed to be hitting his strides. Woakes continued to move the ball around dangerously and challenged the defences well to snaffle each of the three wickets fallen since the play began here at the County ground. Yashasvi Jaiswal (17) and and Abhimanyu Easwaran (11) fell in the first session. Nair, who hit four boundaries to make 40 off 71 balls, looked set for a big total but fell during a passage of play in which Woakes and George Hill troubled the No 4 batter. Woakes beat the bat a few times before finding an edge off Nair's bat which flew past gully for four outside off in the 34th over. On the next delivery, he angled one into the batter who failed to get his bat down on time.. Another England hopeful Josh Tongue, however, struggled for rhythm as he gave away 61 runs from 14 overs.. Brief scores: India A 213/3 in 52 overs (KL Rahul 93*, Karun Nair 40, Dhruv Jurel 37*; Chris Woakes 3/30) vs England Lions.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Fans deserve a better deal from sports administrators
The aftermath of the Bengaluru stampede made for an interesting case study. The police, the politicians, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the franchise were all in a race to shirk responsibility and put the blame on someone else. 'The fans were uncontrollable,' said deputy chief minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar. BCCI quickly issued a statement saying that they had no role in the event. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) said 'the unfortunate incident' only came to light through media reports. The police, meanwhile, said they had not expected so many people to turn up and only deployed 1,000 personnel to manage the lakhs who turned up. While the compensation and financial support announced will help, it isn't the long-term solution India needs. The incident in Bengaluru was tragic, but the reality is that almost every well-attended Indian sporting event could so easily turn into a stampede. People (even if they are senior citizens) are made to walk long distances to the stadium because the parking lots are kilometres away, then they stand in line for hours and finally, enter through bottlenecks with police and private security ever-ready to use the omnipresent lathis. If that isn't enough to make you lose your cool, then comes the actual experience of the game itself. The view from the stands is poor, the toilets stink and the food often runs out. Some stadiums don't even offer the comfort of shade. That this happens in cricket, the most popular game in India, and one managed by the world's richest cricket board, suggests that it is likely the case in other sports as well. It's not that the tickets come cheap. In Bengaluru, the tickets during the IPL 2025 season went for anything between ₹2,300 and ₹42,000. At the top end, this is comparable to prices elsewhere in the world. But if stadium experiences were to be ranked, India would rank somewhere near the bottom. In Australia, by contrast, getting into a stadium means getting dropped by car right at the gate. There are so many volunteers around that help is never far away for the elderly, every stand has spots for the physically disabled and when it is too sunny, they hand out free sunscreen too. One would imagine Cricket Australia makes a lot more money than the BCCI, but it is not even close. To the Indian sports administrator, the fans are little more than cattle. Huddle them in, fill the stands, make them cheer the team and ignore their complaints. For even if they do, there are more than enough people waiting to take your place in the stands. While the number of fans is a boon for the sport, it is a curse for the fans themselves. The stampede must serve as a wake-up call for BCCI, which runs IPL as one of its subcommittees and earns millions of dollars from it. They must put in place protocols for any such celebration so as to ensure no human lives are lost in future. But it shouldn't end there. Addressing poor stadium conditions, improving ticket access, and fostering a more welcoming environment is important but showing empathy for the fans is a must. After all, who does the Indian team play for? Who does RCB (or any other team) play for? So many people turned up at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru because the messaging around the passes wasn't clear: It was done just a few hours before the event. Then, that is what people usually do for games: Turn up and there are usually a few passes or tickets to be had — for a price of course. Administrators argue that the fans don't know better but the fans could argue that neither do the administrators. The voice of the cricket fan on subjects like these is ignored. It is worrying that India now wants to hold mega events such as the Olympics. In November 2024, the Indian Olympic Association formally sent a Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee's Future Host Commission expressing India's interest in hosting the Olympics and Paralympic Games in 2036. The infrastructure will be built, the stadiums will shine and the athletes will compete for glory. But what about the fans? Who, other than the lathi-charging policemen, will cater to them? An estimated 11.2 million people visited the Greater Paris area during the Paris 2024 Olympics — by 2036, the count may be way higher. Does India have a plan in place to deal with this influx? Or will they all be treated like the fans in Bengaluru? The truth is, there is no quick fix for this problem and small but concrete steps will be needed to change things. It may take time but it'll be worth it. Major events are as much about the fans as they are about the athletes. The experience matters to everyone and unless a stern message is sent to the administrators, things won't improve. Being a fan shouldn't be a dangerous business but in India, it clearly is. If the fans want better, they need to make themselves heard in a way that cannot be ignored. Just imagine the message that empty stadiums will send. Treat fans better or play to the sound of silence. The views expressed are personal.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Rohit Sharma reveals how his father reacted to sudden Test retirement: 'He was a little disappointed…'
Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket on 7 May, more than a month before the five-match Test series in England was to get underway. And at an event in Mumbai, the 'Hitman' revealed that his father, like many of his fans, was left disappointed by his decision. read more India skipper Rohit Sharma's last Test appearance was against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December. AP Modern-day batting great Rohit Sharma has finally spoken on Test cricket since retiring from the format last month, revealing that his father Gurunath wasn't too happy with his decision. The 'Hitman' added that his father has been a long-time admirer of the five-day format rather than 'new-age' cricket. Rohit had quit Test cricket on 7 May, days before fellow batting great and former captain Virat Kohli made a similar announcement, with the two bringing the curtains down on their Test careers a little over a month before the five-match Test series in England. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'My father worked in a transport company. Like I said, what my mom did, my father was very much involved in sacrificing things so that we could have our life. But my father always, since day one, has been a fan of Test cricket,' Rohit said at the launch of the book The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife, written by long-time teammate Cheteshwar Pujara's wife Puja, in Mumbai. 'He doesn't like this new-age cricket. I still remember that day I scored 264 in the ODI. He was like, okay, well played. Well done. There was no excitement from him. It's important to go out there and all that. 'But even if I used to get good 30s or 40s or 50s or 60s, in Test cricket used to talk to me about it in detail. So that's the kind of love he had for the game. And he's obviously seen you go up the ranks,' the 'Hitman' added. Rohit had endured a poor run as batter as well as captain in India's last two Test assignments, against New Zealand and Australia at home and away respectively, which had put a question mark on his red-ball future with the Indian team. He ultimately signed off from Test cricket with 4,301 runs in 67 appearances, collecting 12 centuries and 18 fifties along the way besides collecting 12 runs in 24 matches as captain. 'He has played a huge role in wherever I am today' Rohit added that his father had witnessed his entire journey as a cricketer starting from his days as a school kid. 'You play in school cricket. Then you play U19, the Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, the Irani Trophy, and India A. And I've done all of that. So he has seen my journey through that. And through this, I've made it to the Indian team. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'My father has seen me playing a lot of cricket with red ball, obviously. So he appreciates red-ball cricket a lot. And then, obviously, he was a little disappointed when I announced my retirement. But was happy as well at the same time. But, yeah, that's my father. And he has obviously played a huge role in wherever I am today. Without their help, it never would have been possible,' Rohit added. Both Rohit and Kohli had retired from Twenty20 Internationals last year after helping India win the T20 World Cup, and will now be focusing on One-Day Internationals after bidding Test cricket goodbye, with their sights being set on the 2027 ICC World Cup.
