Latest news with #2025WorldSchoolsTeamChampionship
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Gold again! World Chess champion D Gukesh, World Junior champion Pranav V and now this — Velammal keeps minting talents
NEW DELHI: "Go Velammal, Velammal!" — The roar from the seven members representing Velammal MHS School, with the tri-colour held high, painted a larger picture that India's glory days in the game of 64 squares aren't fading any time soon. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Players and coaches donning gold medals and holding the coveted 2025 World Schools Team Championship title were a sheer demonstration of the continued dominance India has enjoyed in recent years. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. And so dominant was Velammal in Virginia that they won all eight matches and had the title sealed even before the final round. Poll What do you think is the key factor behind Velammal's success in chess? Strong coaching and mentorship Academic flexibility and support Passion and dedication of the students Financial incentives for achievements With WFM Keerti Shree Reddy (rating 1910), IM Aswath S (2369), FM Daakshin Arun (2021), IM Ilamparthi A (2358) and FM Pranav KP (2090) all playing key roles, the Chennai-based school secured gold at the 2025 World Schools Team Championship. However, it is not the first time Velammal has been in the spotlight. Some of India's top chess players, including Grandmasters (GMs) D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Pranav V, Vaishali Rameshbabu and Leon Luke Mendonca, have walked its corridors. Exclusive | How India's World Junior Chess Champion Pranav Earned Wildcard to Grand Swiss 2025 Velammal began its chess journey in the early 2000s, when the institution started spotting and nurturing talent at the grassroots. Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School (MHS) and Velammal Vidyalaya, both under the Velammal Educational Trust (Velammal Nexus), created a structured pathway for young players, pairing academic flexibility with professional coaching. "We all know Chennai is called the Chess Capital of India. It has the maximum number of Grandmasters. After the Olympiad happened in Chennai in 2022, a lot of people got interested in chess, and I think there will be many more GMs from Chennai in the coming years," GM Pranav Venkatesh, the reigning FIDE World Junior Champion and a Velammal Vidyalaya student, told "The school helps a lot in studies also, not only in chess. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They give leaves for tournaments, they have made a massive contribution in my chess career so far." Velammal has produced athletes in athletics, volleyball, football and badminton, but chess has become its signature, currently riding the wave of the nation's unmistakable chess boom. The sport's deep roots in Chennai, combined with the city's active tournament scene and role models like Viswanathan Anand, made it an ideal focus. GM Shyam Sundar Mohanraj, who coaches many Velammal students in his Chennai-based academy, explained: "So, in Tamil Nadu… some of the schools do support chess, sometimes financially, but more importantly by giving holidays, more leave to the kids. And I think that's the important thing: attendance. For example, in Chennai, one of those schools is Velammal. There, they don't mind giving more holidays to the players. "And they also support if someone achieves a good performance, then they also provide some kind of financial support. For example, you must be aware that when Gukesh won the Candidates, he was gifted a car. I don't know the exact brand, maybe Mercedes or something, but the car was worth 80 lakhs or 1 crore." Gukesh was indeed gifted a Mercedes-Benz car worth approximately Rs 90,00,000 ($103,450 USD) by his school. The gift came after Gukesh bagged two gold medals at the 2024 Chess Olympiad and became the youngest-ever winner of the Candidates Tournament to set up his World Championship match against China's Ding Liren. It was a move that again highlights the school's tradition of celebrating its stars even if they are one step away from that "ultimate" goal, which was the World Chess Championship in Gukesh's case. After Gukesh became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, the same school awarded him with a Rs 1 crore cash prize. For Velammal, the 2025 World Schools Team Championship is another chapter in a growing legacy. Whether it's Gukesh ruling the world stage, Pranav dominating at the junior level, or some chess prodigies delivering at team events, Velammal continues to justify its "The Chess Factory of India" tag. In all, as the gold medals glistened in Virginia, the chants of "Go Velammal!" were more than just cheers; they were a promise that India's chess future is in safe hands.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Velammal Vidyalaya wins gold medal
Chennai's Velammal Vidyalaya, the alma mater of the youngest reigning world champion D Gukesh and Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, has won the gold medal at the World Schools Team Chess Championship in Virginia, USA. The Velammal Vidyalaya, located in the Mogappair neighbourhood, has been lauded as the force behind the chess revolution in Chennai as it provides expert training to hundreds of budding chess players. 'After eight exciting rounds, the 2025 World Schools Team Championship wrapped up today in Alexandria, Virginia,' global chess governing body FIDE announced in a press release on Thursday. Velammal Vidyalaya's Pranav KP, who played reserve on board five, along with Imangali Akhilbay (Kazakhstan NSPM) on board two and Edisa Berdibaeva (Kazakhstan NSPM) finished with perfect scores (eight out of eight). In all, Velammal Vidyalaya ended their eight games with 16 points. 'Rising above the rest with a perfect score, Velammal MHS School from India claimed the gold medal, winning all eight of their matches,' the FIDE stated. FIDE said the triumph for Velammal School adds another chapter to India's 'growing collection' of titles in chess. 'With India continuing to make waves across all levels and formats of chess, this victory adds yet another title to the country's growing collection,' it said. 'Velammal MHS is no stranger to success—former students include Grandmasters R. Praggnanandhaa and Leon Mendonca. So it came as little surprise when the team entered the final round with the top spot already secured,' FIDE added. The Velammal School has produced several Grandmasters over the years including SP Sethuraman, Mendonca, K Priyadharshan, B Adhiban, Vishnu Prasanna, Visakh NR, Vignesh NR, M Karthikeyan, C Aravindh, Karthik Venkataraman, V Pranav, S Bharath, Arjun Kalyan, P Karthikeyan and N Srinath. Among the Women Grandmasters from the school are R Vaishali, a Grandmaster and sister of Praggnanandhaa, Varshini S, R Rakshitta and B Savitha Shri. 'They also have a champion like Anand to look up to,' the school's chess co-coordinator S Velavan had told PTI in December last year. 'Since most of the children coming here have a genuine interest in chess, we don't have to push them. They combine studies and chess well, and, in fact, the students who play chess have done even better in their studies,' he added. Velammal Vidyalaya, which won the FIDE World School Teams Championship for five consecutive years in the past, follows the '7 to 17 programme' which was introduced by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2013. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's National School of Physics and Mathematics won the silver medal as they had the same number of match points as The Harker School from the USA, but 'edged them out on tie-breaks'. The Harker School finished third ahead of Astana 2 RSPM.
News18
4 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Gukesh, Pragg's Alma Mater Vellamal Vidyalaya Wins Gold At FIDE World Schools Team Championship
Last Updated: Velammal Vidyalaya, Chennai, won gold at the 2025 FIDE World Schools Team Chess Championship in Virginia, scoring a perfect 16 points. The school is known for chess prodigies. Velammal Vidyalaya, the Chennai-based school that nurtured chess prodigies like reigning World Champion D Gukesh and Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, has added another feather to its cap by winning the gold medal at the 2025 FIDE World Schools Team Chess Championship in Alexandria, Virginia, USA. The Mogappair-based institution, long hailed as the heartbeat of Chennai's chess revolution, dominated the eight-round tournament to finish with a perfect score—16 points from eight matches—cementing its reputation as a global chess powerhouse. 'After eight exciting rounds, the 2025 World Schools Team Championship wrapped up today in Alexandria, Virginia," announced FIDE, the international chess federation, in a press release on Thursday. Velammal's team turned in a flawless performance, with all players contributing to the gold-winning campaign. 'Rising above the rest with a perfect score, Velammal MHS School from India claimed the gold medal, winning all eight of their matches," FIDE said. 'They also have a champion like Anand to look up to," said S Velavan, the school's chess coordinator, in a previous interview with PTI. 'Since most children here have a genuine interest in chess, we don't need to push them. They combine their academics and chess extremely well. In fact, chess-playing students tend to excel in academics too," he added. The school follows the '7 to 17' programme—an initiative introduced in 2013 by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa—to train young chess players intensively from early childhood through their teenage years. This systematic approach has paid rich dividends. The school had previously won the FIDE World Schools Team Championship five years in a row and continues to serve as a model for chess education in India. 'Velammal MHS is no stranger to success… so it came as little surprise when the team entered the final round with the top spot already secured," FIDE noted. (with PTI inputs) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
4 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Velammal Vidyalaya wins gold medal at World Schools Team Championship
New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) Chennai's Velammal Vidyalaya, the alma mater of the youngest reigning world champion D Gukesh and grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, has added further laurels to its cap by winning the gold medal at the World Schools Team Championship in Virginia, USA. The Velammal Vidyalaya, located in the Mogappair neighbourhood, has been a force behind the chess revolution in Chennai as it provides expert training to hundreds of budding chess players. 'After eight exciting rounds, the 2025 World Schools Team Championship wrapped up today in Alexandria, Virginia," FIDE wrote on Thursday. 'Set on the beautiful campus of Episcopal High School, the event brought together some of the most talented young chess players from around the world." 'Rising above the rest with a perfect score, Velammal MHS School from India claimed the gold medal, winning all eight of their matches," it added. FIDE said the triumph for Velammal School adds another chapter to India's 'growing collection" of titles in chess. 'With India continuing to make waves across all levels and formats of chess, this victory adds yet another title to the country's growing collection," it said. 'Velammal MHS is no stranger to success—former students include Grandmasters R. Praggnanandhaa and Leon Mendonca. So it came as little surprise when the team entered the final round with the top spot already secured," FIDE added. The Velammal School has produced several grandmasters over the years since 2005 including SP Sethuraman, Mendonca, K Priyadharshan, B Adhiban, Vishnu Prasanna, Visakh NR, Vignesh NR, M Karthikeyan, C Aravindh, Karthik Venkataraman, V Pranav, S Bharath, Arjun Kalyan, P Karthikeyan and N Srinath. Among the women grandmasters from the school are R Vaishali, a Grandmaster and sister of Praggnanandhaa, Varshini S, R Rakshitta and B Savitha Shri. 'They also have a champion like Anand to look up to," the school's chess co-coordinator S Velavan had told PTI in December last year. 'Since most of the children coming here have a genuine interest in chess, we don't have to push them. They combine studies and chess well, and, in fact, the students who play chess have done even better in their studies," he added. Velammal Vidyalaya, which has won the FIDE World School Teams Championship for five consecutive years in the past, follows the '7 to 17 programme' which was introduced in schools by former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in 2013. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's National School of Physics and Mathematics won the silver medal as they had the same number of match points as The Harker School from the USA, but 'edged them out on tiebreaks". The Harker School finished third ahead of Astana 2 RSPM. Velammal Vidyalaya's Pranav KP who played reserve on board five, along with Imangali Akhilbay (Kazakhstan NSPM) on board two and Edisa Berdibaeva (Kazakhstan NSPM) finished with perfect scores (eight out of eight). In all, Velammal Vidyalaya finished their eight games with 16 points. PTI DDV APA APA view comments First Published: August 07, 2025, 13:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Another high for India in chess: Chennai's Velammal takes gold at 2025 World Schools Team Championship
India's Velammal MHS School claimed the gold medal at the 2025 World Schools Team Championship in Alexandria, Virginia after winning all eight of their matches. Some of India's top chess players have studied at the Velammal educational institutions. This includes current world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and top players like Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Leon Luke Mendonca among many others. So dominant was Velammal at the event, that it entered the final round of the eight-round tournament already guaranteed the top spot and the title. For the Chennai-based team, WFM Keerti Shree Reddy (rating of 1910) was India's board 1 player followed by IM Aswath S (2369), FM Daakshin Arun (2021), IM Ilamparthi A (2358) and FM Pranav KP (2090). While Keerti just played three games in the first three rounds as board 1 for Velammal, international master Ilamparthi was the star for the Indian team, playing in all eight rounds, winning seven and drawing one. from the fourth round onwards, he played as board 1 for India. The other IM in the team, Aswath, had three draws and a defeat after playing in all eight rounds. A press release from the global governing body of chess, FIDE, noted that things were much closer in the race for second place. Heading into the last round, seven teams were still in contention for silver. Things were much tighter in the battle for second place. Kazakhstan's National School of Physics and Mathematics ultimately clinched the silver medal, finishing on the same number of match points as The Harker School (USA), but edging them out on tiebreaks. The Harker School took a well-deserved third place, just ahead of Astana 2 RSPM who narrowly missed the podium. #1: Velammal MHS School (India) #2: National School of Physics and Mathematics (Kazakhstan) #3: The Harker School (USA) #4: Astana 2 RSPM (Kazakhstan) #5: University High School (USA) #6: Royal College, Colombo (Sri Lanka) #7: Lyceum 'Photon' of Gyumri (Armenia) #8: Seed Educational Complex (Kazakhstan) #9: Wisdom (Uzbekistan) #10: Hampton (England)
