​HelpChess Foundation raises Rs. 1 lakh for the Chennai Grandmasters Scholarship

India's strongest classical tournament

It was 11th December 2023, the 54th birthday of India’s first World Champion – Viswanathan Anand. On this special day, all the chess fans received a surprise when the strongest classical tournament in India – Chennai Grandmasters was announced. As the name explains, every year the tournament takes place in Anand’s hometown – Chennai. In both editions, the average rating of this tournament was around 2700. This just ensures that the tournament features high-level competition among the strongest players. One of the best things about this event for the players is that it is a part of the FIDE Circuit.

This is the same tournament that helped Gukesh win the Candidates spot and now he is currently challenging the World Champion Ding Liren in Singapore for the title. Gukesh earned 20.08 points by winning this tournament which made his final FIDE Circuit points as 87.36. This year, Arjun is at the top of the FIDE Circuit leaderboard with 114.77 points (17.22 points from Chennai Grandmasters 2024) having a possibility to qualify for the Candidates Tournament 2026. Aravindh Chithambaram achieved a significant milestone in his career by winning the Chennai Grandmasters 2024 and also 20.59 FIDE Circuit points.

While efforts are being made to organize top-tier tournaments for India’s strongest chess players, there is also a growing need to focus on nurturing future talents. India is believed to be the future of chess. We are already seeing a surge of players showcasing their exceptional talent on the global stage. Still, it’s unfortunate to see many players struggle to find enough resources necessary to support their journeys. Our promising stars are stuck at a critical point due to a lack of proper coaching or participation in high-level tournaments. Some players face technical challenges like a lack of training software or a laptop to analyze their games. These barriers remain unsolved and prevent the players from using their full potential.

This is where the HelpChess Foundation steps in to create a bridge between those who need help and those who want to help. Our goal is to help aspiring Indian players in whatever ways we can to help them shine on national and international levels. Whether it’s covering the training costs or providing assistance to players, the HelpChess Foundation has transformed the lives of many chess players.

Needless to say, none of this would be possible without the unwavering support of the HelpChess contributors, whom we call the ‘Believers’. Their generosity has supported many players who were able to achieve significant milestones in their journey. With this in mind, we thought it was a good opportunity to announce the ‘Chennai Grandmasters Scholarship’ under the HelpChess Foundation. We want to support those players who might become the ‘Chennai Grandmaster' one day and possibly even get a spot in the Candidates tournament in the future.

During the live streams of the Chennai Grandmasters 2024 event, Sagar Shah made an announcement that all donations received through HelpChess during the tournament would be used to support players in need. The response from viewers was truly remarkable, as we raised over Rs. 1 lakh. A total of 25 people contributed to this fund with Manoj Samudra being the top donor who donated Rs. 21,001. As the top contributor, he received signed player cards from all the participants of the Chennai Grandmasters 2024 which were collected during the drawing of the lot ceremony. Who would not cherish a signed card from their favorite players? And this is the first time that we are offering such an incentive to our highest contributor. The person behind this thoughtful idea is Sreekar Channapragada, Co-founder of MGD1. We hope this will inspire more people to contribute to HelpChess and know that their donations are truly valued.

Here is a list of people who contributed during the Chennai Grandmaster 2024 (5th - 11th November):

Message from Manoj Samudra:

It's my humble contribution to the initiative of Helpchess and Chessbase India to support Indian talent and give a boost to their aspirations and Chess Goals. Will continue to support personally and on behalf of Earth Now in the future. All the best to the ones who receive the Scholarships!

Kashthuri Bhai - Recipient of Chennai Grandmasters Scholarship

In 2022, Kashthuri Bhai became the first player from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to get international ratings in Standard and Rapid formats. She stands out not only for her chess talent but also for breaking barriers as a player from a remote area. Her achievements are truly inspirational for aspiring chess players, especially in such underrepresented regions.

Kashthuri is very happy after winning the Scholarship, which she plans to utilize for her chess coaching. She hopes that with this support, she can access high-class coaching to further sharpen her skills. Like any ambitious chess player, her dream is to become a super grandmaster.

Traveling from Port Blair to the mainland is very challenging for Kashthuri due to limited ship schedules that often do not align with tournament dates. Because of this, she has to rely on flights, which is an expensive option. But without complaining, Kashthuri continues to push boundaries and pursue her passion for chess. We will see her play in the 2nd Bengaluru Grandmasters Open Chess Tournament in April 2025.

Related news:

Anirudhha Potawad receives Rs. 50,001 under the Gopal and Shilpa Ved Scholarship @ 12/11/2024 by Rasika Ratnaparkhi (en)