Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram has been making waves in the chess world, recently clinching the prestigious Prague Chess Masters 2025 title. His coach, Ramesh RB, a Dronacharya Awardee and one of India’s most respected chess mentors, has made a bold statement regarding the 25-year-old’s potential.
Ramesh, who has trained some of India’s brightest chess stars, including R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali, believes Aravindh is India’s most talented player after five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand. He claims that Chithambaram possesses more natural ability than even reigning world champion D Gukesh and young sensation Praggnanandhaa.
A Stunning Rise in World Rankings
Currently ranked 22nd globally with an impressive Elo rating of 2731, Aravindh has showcased his immense skill in recent tournaments. He triumphed in the Chennai Grand Masters last year, defeating world No.13 Levon Aronian. His latest achievement came in Prague, where he edged out world No.8 Praggnanandhaa to claim the championship title.
Self-Belief Key to Aravindh’s Breakthrough
Ramesh attributes Aravindh’s sudden surge in form to an increase in self-confidence.
“He is very talented, in fact, the most talented after five-time world champion Anand. But he was not believing in himself. Self-doubt was his main stumbling block. Now he is sure about himself,” Ramesh told Sportstar.
Aravindh, however, remains uncertain about what exactly has changed in his game but is pleased with his recent performances.
“I don’t know what exactly happened. Something has changed. I am unable to figure it out. Everything has come together for me. Better late than never,” he said.
Indian Chess Continues to Rise
Aravindh also highlighted the depth of Indian chess, stating that the country now has enough elite players to field multiple competitive teams in international events like the Chess Olympiad.
“We might have two strong teams that will be contenders for Olympiads. We can even go with three teams. That’s the quality of Indian chess,” Aravindh remarked.
India’s dominance in the sport was further solidified in 2024 when both the men’s and women’s teams secured gold medals at the Chess Olympiad for the first time. The winning squad included top players such as world champion D Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, Pentala Harikrishna, Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, D Harika, Tania Sachdev, and Vantika Agrawal.
With players like Aravindh Chithambaram now stepping up their game, Indian chess is set for an even brighter future on the global stage.