Aravindh Chithambaram's Chess comes of age in Prague

The 25-year-old from Chennai proved he is much more than a pawn over the chess board, clinching the 2025 Prague Chess Masters title on Friday.

Aravindh staved off a strong challenge from compatriot and close friend Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Dutch GM Anish Giri, and China’s GM Wei Yei to finish a point clear of all of them.

Aravindh was the only player in the ten-man field to finish the tournament unbeaten. He registered three victories and seven draws.

Two of those wins were against Giri and Wei – his two closest competitors in the standings.

“He [Aravindh] usually plays at a very high level,” said his long-time coach RB Ramesh in a conversation with The Bridge.

“Generally, he hasn’t shown skills near to this level [like in Prague]. He smoothly fitted in every piece of the puzzle,” the coach added.

Aravindh’s high level of play was on display throughout the tournament. His game against Giri in the seventh round also won him the Kavalek Award for best game of the competition.

The game saw a brilliant sequence of moves, involving a knight sacrifice to stun Giri.

The Dutch GM was unbeaten in the tournament until then, having drawn his previous six games. He remained unbeaten after it as well but against Aravindh, he ran into a brick wall.

“I was doing this mind trick while playing Aravindh, because I was in a must-win situation,” Giri had said in the Chessbase India live stream after the match.

“I looked at him and told myself ‘okay I’ve seen you for many years, you’ve been Elo 2650 for many years and that’s how I’m going to treat you, like the old Aravindh.’

“I got completely crushed. Next time, I’ll know better,” lamented Giri.

It was a judgement error on Giri’s part but it also encapsulates the reputation Aravindh had developed over the years.

He was one of the earliest wonderkids in Indian chess – years before the likes of Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh Dommaraju, Nihal Sarin and others broke through.

An un-titled Aravindh had stunned the world more than a decade back in 2013 when he won the Chennai Open Grandmasters title. The field included the likes of GM Abhijit Kunte, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM SP Sethuraman and others.

Aravindh was just 14 then.

Two years later, he would earn the Grandmaster title himself.

Aravindh had the world at his feet but things did not pan out the way Indian chess fraternity hoped for as he struggled to make a mark.

Gradually, he found himself slipping down the pecking order even as the prodigal Praggnanandhaa emerged out of the shadows.

“He was not stuck,” asserted Ramesh, who has worked with Aravindh since 2011. “His chess was always good.

“It was just about his confidence. He did not believe in himself the way he should have,” the coach added.

Ramesh did try and nudge him to a sports psychologist for counselling to resolve the problems, but he wasn’t very keen after a few early sessions.

The recent string of success for the younger crop of Indian players provided the much-needed motivation and self-confidence to Aravindh, believes Ramesh.

Fittingly, Aravindh’s turnaround started in the very city which first put him under the spotlight – Chennai.

He got an invitation to the Chennai Open – his first-ever super tournament invite – last year.

Aravindh knew this was his shot and grabbed it with both hands.

He finished tied first with GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Levon Aronian and ended up winning the title, beating the latter 2-0 in tie-breaks.

That display is what helped Aravindh earn the invitation to Prague. He has now won both the super tournaments he has competed in – an enviable record to have.

But this is just a start.

“I hope he gets more invitations,” said Ramesh. “He is rated very high and has shown he can win.”

The exploits in Prague have also propelled Aravindh up to the 14th spot in the LIVE world rankings. He is the fourth highest rated Indian, displacing five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand. He is now only behind Gukesh, Eriagisi, and Praggnanandhaa.

For Aravindh, who lost his father when he was just a toddler, it is the start of a beautiful new chapter – something he has always dreamt of.

“I don’t know what is happening with my life,” Aravindh had said after his third-round win against Wei in Prague.

He was shocked with the results he was producing.

Aravindh was always capable. He has just evolved from a pawn of the 64 squares to the most important piece on the board.