Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 9: Renowned Indian chess player R Praggnanandhaa expressed his admiration for the Chola Chess initiative, emphasizing its no-cost offerings and the increasing interest in chess among the youth.

The 19-year-old shared his thoughts during the launch of the Chola Chess facility in Chennai, a project driven by Cholamandalam Investment and Finance as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, in collaboration with Chess Gurukul. This initiative aims to discover and nurture young chess talent throughout India.

In his remarks, he stated, “I participated in a Chola Chess camp three months ago. They host regular camps every month, allowing us to train alongside grandmasters. The facilities here are excellent for playing blitz chess, and everything is provided free of charge. It creates an environment where chess is omnipresent. I’m thrilled to be part of this inauguration. So far, thirty-six camps have been conducted, with many more planned.”

He also noted the rising popularity of chess, saying, “More young children are being inspired to take up the game.”

“The most important aspect is to enjoy the game. I approach each tournament individually, and my current focus is on the upcoming freestyle competition,” he added. India has been achieving remarkable success in international chess recently.

D. Gukesh, the current World Champion and recipient of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, recently secured third place in the Norway Chess tournament, which concluded in early June. A highlight of his performance was defeating world number one Magnus Carlsen, marking his first classical victory against him. Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi also performed admirably, finishing in fifth place.

Additionally, Aravindh Chithambaram won first place at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial Chess Tournament, while R Praggnanandhaa achieved second place in the same event, which took place from May 28 to June 6.