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Time of India
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Parents' sleepless nights, coding, and chess: How India got its 89th GM in Rohith Krishna S
India gets its 89th GM in Rohith Krishna S (Photo Credits: Dubai Chess & Culture Club) NEW DELHI: The time on the clock had slipped well past midnight. In a quiet Chennai apartment, a lone pool of light from a laptop screen cut through the darkness. A mother sat upright, eyes fixed on the glowing squares of an online chessboard, tracking her teenage son's tense battle thousands of kilometres away in another time zone. That son is Rohith Krishna S, the 19-year-old who, earlier this week, sealed his place in history as India's 89th Grandmaster, winning his final Grandmaster (GM) norm at the Almaty Region Open Qonaev Cup with an unbeaten 6/9 score on Tuesday. 'I had to sacrifice a lot… There were times when he was playing tournaments on the opposite side of the world… the time zones didn't match at all, so I spent many sleepless nights watching his games,' says Rohith's mother, Vidhya, who is a veterinarian by profession and mother of two. 'We also couldn't go on any vacations due to him constantly travelling abroad for tournaments.' Exclusive | How India's World Junior Chess Champion Pranav Earned Wildcard to Grand Swiss 2025 Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Rohith's reaction to the feat, however, remains modest. 'When I finished the last game and realised I had done it, I felt really happy,' Rohith tells from Abu Dhabi, where he is participating in the 31st Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival. 'It had been a long journey, and I knew it was just a matter of time before I became a GM. But I never thought about it during my games; I just focused on playing well.' The call that had everyone waiting Neither of his parents was present at the venue when their son attained his final GM norm. 'Rohith called his mother,' his father, Sudhahar, recalls with a smile. 'So, she called me and informed me that Rohith had finally achieved the norm and completed the formalities.' The joy was mixed with relief. 'Yeah, I was very happy and relaxed,' says his mother. 'Relaxed means very peaceful… I felt very, very complete. I don't know how to express my feelings. I was very happy.' Mokshitha, sister, Vidhya, mother, Rohith, and his father Sudhahar, from left to right (Special Arrangements) Rohith had known this was coming. 'After my second norm in Dubai, I was confident. I didn't feel too much pressure for the last one. In the final round, I knew a draw was enough, but I played aggressively and won,' he says. A journey that began with a grandmother's game At the age of eight, the family enrolled Rohith in extracurricular activities at SIP Academy. Chess was one of the options. 'We said, you can choose any two so you can spend your time with your friend. So, he went to the drawing class, and he went to the chess class too. He preferred chess,' his father recalls. There was also a deeper family link: his maternal grandmother and his mother, who had once been a university champion. 'I first learnt chess from my grandmother and my cousin,' says Rohith, who is currently coached by one of Chennai's finest chess minds, FM Visweswaran Kameswaran. 'I used to play chess on the Windows 7 computer. At first, I just wanted to beat the computer; that was my initial motivation.' Holidays traded for tournaments While other families planned vacations, the Krishnas were booking tickets to far-off cities: Belgrade, Dubai, Tashkent, Almaty. 'He has to travel for a lot of tournaments. So, basically, we will not have family holidays most of the time. Leaving the boy alone and going for holidays doesn't help us. And when he is going for any tournament, we cannot plan it as a holiday too,' Sudhahar says. From 2019 onwards, international travel became constant. 'One of us had to travel with him, especially abroad. I had to take some holidays… We have to plan all his logistics, like travel, coach, accommodation, visa. All these things.' Since turning 18, though, Rohith has started travelling solo to tournaments across the world. His parents still handle the behind-the-scenes work, from booking stays and arranging transport to ensuring his safety. The cost of chasing a dream Initially, the family bore most of the expenses for domestic events, foreign trips, and even the coach's travel. 'One trip to Europe will definitely cost you more,' his father says. They reinvested every prize cheque back into tournaments. 'For example, in 2023, he won a few tournaments. The prize money also, we used for the entire year,' says Sudhahar, who is a consultant for a German footwear brand. Poll Should parents invest in their children's sports careers? Definitely Only if the child is interested Not necessarily No, it's not worth it The turning point came when he was selected for Tamil Nadu's MIMS (Mission International Medals Scheme), which provided financial assistance for international tournaments. 'It helped us a lot to relieve the burden. Otherwise, we wouldn't have played so many tournaments,' his father says. Managing studies and chess The family offered him the option to take a break after Class 12 to focus entirely on chess. 'But it was his choice,' Sudhahar continues. 'He actually felt the pressure after joining college… But he is managing it so well that he has now got all the GM norms.' Rohith, who is currently pursuing Computer Science at Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering in Tamil Nadu, admits that balancing engineering and chess hasn't been easy. 'Sometimes I have to miss college for tournaments, and sometimes I have to miss tournaments for exams. But I love both: chess and coding. They're both about problem-solving.' A proud present, a hopeful future Now that the GM title is his, the family is dreaming bigger. 'See, when, as a young boy, he had a dream to be a Super GM… He also wanted to go for higher studies. He believes he is also underrated… If everything goes well, he can achieve his dream,' says Sudhahar. Rohith is already looking ahead. 'My next goal is to reach a 2600 rating, and my long-term plan is to become world champion,' he says. ALSO READ: Watching Magnus Carlsen at 2: How 5-year-old Aarini Lahoty became India's No. 1 among youngest chess talents On paper, the title reads: Grandmaster Rohith Krishna S, India's 89th. But between the lines is another title — one shared by his parents, who have been champions in their own right, fighting every logistical, financial, and emotional battle so that their son could stand where he does today. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Chennai engineering student is 89th from India to reach the mark
Chennai engineering student is 89th from India to reach the mark CHENNAI: A new grandmaster from Tamil Nadu has almost become a trend, but there's something striking about S Rohith Krishna. The 20-year-old Chennai boy secured all three norms — the first in March, the second in May, and the final at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan on Tuesday — in a space of six months. Rohith is now India's 89th Grandmaster and the 33rd from Tamil Nadu. His tryst with chess began at the age of eight, when his veterinarian mother offered him a choice between chess and drawing. He picked chess, and there has been no looking back. In his early years, Rohith defeated some of the top talents, including world champion D Gukesh. While his chess friends zoomed ahead, Rohith, who became an IM in 2022, slowed his rating climb to focus on academics. He is currently in the third year of an engineering degree at SSN College of Engineering. Talking to TOI, Rohith's coach K Visweswaran said: 'Rohith defeated the likes of Gukesh and other top players when he was a kid, but he couldn't rise further because he wanted to focus on his studies and balance both. He studied in a CBSE school and always scored 90-plus. He wants to be an allrounder; a good engineer and a good chess player. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Foods That Help In Healing Knee Pain Naturally Undo 'It may seem like he achieved his norms quickly, many years of effort went into it. There were many moments of internal panic. He always had the ability to make a he not focused so much on academics, this could have happened last year. He has been a Grandmaster in the making for years.' After a string of strong performances, Rohith's immediate goal is to cross the 2600 barrier in FIDE rating. 'Instead of chasing the final norm, I decided to focus on preparation and improving my game. I was sure I would become a Grandmaster; it was just a matter of time, so I wanted to strengthen my overall play. In Almaty Masters, I needed a win in the final round and I went in with an open mind, knowing anything could happen. I feel relieved and happy after achieving this milestone,' Rohith told TOI from Abu Dhabi. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Rohith Krishna becomes India's 89th GM
Rohith Krishna S. has always been bright in academics, but that pursuit he felt slowed down the pace of him becoming a chess Grandmaster. However, on Tuesday, he was on top of the world when he became the 89th Indian GM. He did that with a victory over IM Artur Davtyan of Romania in the final round of the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan to secure six points out of nine. The 19-year-old, a third-year engineering student in Chennai, knows that his journey has just begun. Speaking to The Hindu from Dubai, where he will be taking part in the Abu Dhabi International tournament beginning August 15, Rohith said: 'Finally, achieving the dream of becoming a Grandmaster — one I have pursued since 2013 — has brought me immense relief and joy. 'I will always remember my friends, family, and mentors who stood by me in difficult times, encouraging me never to give up. This is not the end — it is just the beginning of a longer journey ahead.' Rohith acknowledged the support of his school and college (Sunshine, Velachery, and SSN) — that made the path to become a GM relatively smooth. 'At times, I felt the pressure of not achieving the Grandmaster title as quickly as I expected, as balancing academics and chess was never easy. However, the support of The Sunshine School and SSN College kept me motivated to excel in both fields,' he said while thanking the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu for its financial assistance.. K. Visweswaran, head coach of Kameswaran Chess Academy, Chennai, and one who has been training Rohith since 2019, said his ward wanted to achieve excellence in academics and chess, and it was a conscious decision. 'He invested two years for school (Std. XI and XII) and one year in College (SSN) to get accustomed to the environment. Rohith looks at life holistically,' said the coach. According to Visweswaran, 'Rohith is a diligent and a patient player. He is tactically sharp and quick to capitalise on the opponent's mistakes. Now with the GM pressure off his back, he can go for tournament wins.'
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
S. Rohit Krishna becomes India's 89th Grand Master
S. Rohith Krishna has always been a bright student of academics. However, Rohith felt that his pursuit of excellence in academics slowed down the pace of his becoming a chess Grandmaster. When he became the 89th Indian Grandmaster at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), with a victory over IM Artur Davtyan of Romania in the final round, securing six points out of nine, he was on top of the world. The 19-year-old, a third year student of SSN College of Engineering, knows that his journey has just begun. Speaking to The Hindu from Dubai, where he is taking part in the Abu Dhabi International tournament beginning August 15, Rohith said: 'Finally, achieving the dream of becoming a Grandmaster—one I have pursued since 2013—has brought me immense relief and joy. I will always remember my friends, family, and mentors who stood by me in difficult times, encouraging me never to give up. This is not the end—it is just the beginning of a longer journey ahead.' Rohith acknowledged the support of his school—Sunshine (Velachery), and College—SSN College, that made the path to becoming a Grand Master relatively smooth. 'At times, I felt the pressure of not achieving the Grandmaster title as quickly as I expected, as balancing academics and chess was never easy. However, the support of The Sunshine School and SSN College kept me motivated to excel in both fields,' he emphasised while thanking the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu for its financial assistance. K. Visweswaran, head coach of Kameswaran Chess Academy (Chennai), and one who has been training with Rohith closely since 2019, said his ward wanted to achieve excellence in academics and chess, and it was a conscious decision. 'He remains a very good student. He invested two years for school (Std. XI and XII) and one year in College (SSN) to get accustomed to the environment. Rohith looks at life holistically,' said the coach. According to his coach, 'Rohith is a diligent and a patient player. He is more or less like former England cricketer David Gower, elegant and positive. Like Gower, he is always ready to punish loose balls. He is tactically sharp and quick to capitalise on the opponent's mistakes. Now with the GM pressure off his back, he can go for tournament wins.' After becoming an International Master in 2022, Rohith earned his maiden GM-norm by winning the Hotel Stockholm North GM round-robin tournament in March 2025 and he got his second norm in the 2025 Dubai Open in May. It's time to witness a new and revitalised Rohith.
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Rohith Krishna S Becomes India's 89th Chess Grandmaster
Last Updated: The 20-year-old, Rohith, who is coached by registered six points from a possible nine at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan to earn the norm. India's long list of Chess Grandmasters from the nation enjoyed recent addition as Rohith Krishna S became the county's 89th Grandmaster on Wednesday as he reached the norm at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan. The 20-year-old, Rohith, who is coached by registered six points from a possible nine to surpass the coveted 2500 ELO Rating. 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.
