Latest news with #Velammal
Time of India
a day 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.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa's alma mater wins gold at FIDE World Schools Team Championship
Velammal MHS School enjoyed a dominant run in the 2025 FIDE World Schools Team Championship in the United States in which it was guaranteed the top spot and the title before the last of the eight rounds even got underway on Wednesday. read more Students of the Velammal MHS School, Chennai, pose with their gold medals at the 2025 FIDE World Schools Team Championship in Alexandria, USA. Image credit: FIDE It's not just Grandmasters D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and his sister R Vaishali who are keeping the Indian flag flying high in the world of chess – their alma mater too is making the country proud by emerging victorious in a global event. Chennai's Velammal MHS School, after all, won gold at the World Schools Team Championship that took place in the USA and concluded on Wednesday, 6 August. Dominant Velammal miles ahead of other schools Velammal MHS School, located in Chennai's Mogappair and also counts GM Leon Luke Mendonca among its former students, enjoyed a dominant run in the tournament that took place in Alexandria, Virginia in which they were guaranteed the top spot and the title before the last of the eight rounds even got underway. Velammal finished No 1 with 16 points from eight rounds while the next three finished with 12 points each – with Kazakhstan's National School of Physics and Mathematics and USA's The Harker School winning silver and gold respectively after the tie-breaks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD International Master Ilamparthi A was the star performer for Velammal, winning seven games and drawing just one after playing all eight rounds. He even took over as Board 1 for his school after Woman FIDE Master Keerti Shree Reddy played the first three rounds. Pranav KP, who played on Board 4, was another key performer as he won six and drew one after featuring in all rounds except the second. Exciting World School Teams Championship comes to an end. Over 50 teams from all over the world came to USA, and that was a real celebration of school chess. Kudos to the Velammal school from Chennai for taking the gold medals - but this event had many more winners. Look at the… — Emilchess (@EmilSutovsky) August 7, 2025 Velammal MHS School has been a key contributor to Chennai's rich legacy when it comes to chess by providing training to hundreds of budding chess players. It follows the '7 to 17 programme' which had been introduced in schools by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2013. The development comes days after Divya Deshmukh defeated Koneru Humpy in a historic all-Indian final at the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi Georiga, with both players confirming their place in next year's Candidates Tournament. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Indian Express
3 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)
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
MOP's chess champs win big
If Velammal school is synonymous to school chess, MOP Vaishnav college for Women is for chess in higher institutions. At the recently held All-India inter-university chess tournament, Madras University won the women's segment. Five girls from MOP Vaishnav were part of the winning team. 'Winning this tournament is an incredible feeling. The gold medal was truly rewarding as it's a testament to our perseverance. It's the culmination of months of hard work, and dedication from the entire team,' said L Amutha Sumankumar, director of Physical Education from the college. 'It is a moment of immense pride for our college. It reinforces the institution's commitment to excel in sports,' she added. Vaishali R, Nayanikaa M, Rindhiya V, Savitha Sri, Rakshitta Ravi, and Harshini B qualified to the All-India tournament after winning the zonal event. 'However, Vaishali couldn't join us due to other commitments. But we were focused and remained a strong unit,' she said. It was Rindhiya, Savitha, and Rakshitta who put up memorable performances, securing crucial wins for the team. 'That teamwork helped us clinch the gold at the national level too,' Amutha added. Meanwhile, Savitha recounted her experience. 'Having the gold medal over our necks validated the effort we put in. Despite training in different environments, we came together as a team, combined our strengths, and performed at our best to win it,' Savitha said. The girls train under the best coaches the country has to offer. Savitha, Rakshitta, and Vaishali train at Chess Gurukul academy, while Nayanikaa trains individually under a GM. Harshini trains independently. 'Each brought their own expertise, and that helped us improve.' she added. The toughest game for the team in the event was against Adamas University from Kolkata. 'The fourth round against them was tough. It was Rindhiya and Rakshitta who scored crucial wins for the team,' she said. While the girls have received appreciation from the college principal, Archna Prasad, Savitha credited her institution for their victory. 'They ensured we had adequate practice time, flexibility with our academics, and access to top-level tournaments to sharpen our skills,' she said. Woman GM Rakshitta Ravi, who made her university tournament debut, shared her 'unique experience'. 'I'm very happy to represent the university and achieve this feat. The college has helped me in my chess career and education. I regularly travel abroad to compete in international tournaments, which play a crucial role in advancing my career. Support from sponsors has been immensely helpful in enabling me to reach greater heights,' added the GM whose parents, IM TS Ravi and WIM Saimeera Ravi are chess players. This victory is an example of how educational institutions have backed players and received them as champions. Representatives from Madras University, including V Mahadevan, had words of praise for the contingent from MOP.
