I grew up in Chennai and took to chess early. By the time I was 16, I had completed all four Grandmaster norms and eventually earned the title at 18. Alongside chess, I scored 95% in my Class 12 board exams, a balance that shaped how I think about preparation and discipline.
My playing career took me to tournaments across the world, winning quite a few events in Europe. Along the way, I also represented my university team, SRM, which won the Indian Inter-University Chess Championship four editions in a row. In the online arena, I was part of Pivotal Pawns, which won the Chess Super League — a team that included former World Champion Ding Liren.
The shift toward coaching came naturally. I joined the support team for Praggnanandhaa as one of his coaches for an extended period, including during the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024. Working at that level demands precision in preparation and the ability to find practical solutions quickly.
At the national team level, I served as assistant coach for three Indian teams across major events. The India Men's B team won bronze at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai — a team that included Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Nihal. That same year, I was part of the support staff for the India Asian Games team (silver), which featured the top five Indian players: Gukesh, Pragg, Vidit, Arjun Erigaisi, and Harikrishna.
Most recently, I was assistant coach for the India Women's team at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, which won gold. India's men's team also won gold — a historic double gold, the first time India has achieved this at the Olympiad.
Alongside coaching, I've published 18 courses on Modern Chess and 4 major courses on Chessable, where my content holds a 4.9/5 rating from over 200 verified students across both platforms. The courses are built for competitive players: practical, principled, and focused on positions you can actually navigate over the board.
In 1-on-1 coaching, I work with players from 1600 FIDE to Grandmaster level. I keep the roster small — students who are genuinely invested in closing the gap, not looking for generic homework assignments.
One case in point is my student Sohum Lohia, whom I've trained for three years now. He progressed from a rating of around 2000 to getting the International Master title the previous year. View his FIDE profile .
