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Hello, I’m

Priyadharshan Kannappan

GrandMaster, FIDE Trainer and India’s highest FIDE rated professional chess coach.

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Hello, I’m

Priyadharshan Kannappan

GrandMaster, FIDE Trainer and India’s highest FIDE rated professional chess coach.

Let’s Talk

My Story

My Childhood

Born in Madurai on 1st December 1993, I was introduced to the magical world of chess at the age of 6.5, thanks to my brother Prasanna. Since then, chess has been an integral part of my life! My interest in chess kept growing due to my continued success in state and national level events, where I consistently finished in the top-10 rankings, motivating my parents to support me in pursuing my passion!

with Mr.APJ.Abdul Kalam-7 1

My Adolescence

This was an amazing period of my life, as I traveled around the world (10 countries) and played a game that I dearly loved! I also won all my age category medals during my adolescence. I earned the International Master title at 16, winning the Asian U-16 Championship in New Delhi in 2009. The most memorable moment for me during that time was meeting the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2005, after receiving an invitation to meet him following my win at the Asian U-12 championship.

My Adulthood

I moved to the U.S. at 19 to pursue my B.S. in Marketing at Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Missouri. My education in the U.S. gave me a whole new perspective on life, as I got to meet amazing people from all over the world, some of whom have become very good friends! As I completed my undergraduate degree, I also achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 23. I then went on to complete my M.A. in Management and Leadership from Webster University, where I had the incredible opportunity to train under the legendary Susan Polgar!

In 2018, I moved back to India and embarked on my startup journey to build a world-class chess organization!

My Interests

Books

I’m a big fan of non-fiction books, especially on topics like History, Social Sciences, Business, and Biography. I enjoy reading in both Tamil and English. Would you believe that I finished the entire Ponniyin Selvan Tamil book series at the age of 11!

Movies and Sitcoms

Movies in the “Slice of Life” and “Comedy” genres are my go-to pick any day! I used to watch a lot of movies in my younger days, but now I only watch the ones that come highly recommended. I prefer watching movies in Tamil and Malayalam!

Writing

It’s no surprise that I love writing—I authored The Modernized Berlin Wall Defense and have contributed articles to top chess magazines and websites. I now share my experiences with a global audience through a monthly Chess Gaja blog. Beyond chess, I’ve also penned a few Tamil poems over the years.

My Mentors

GrandMaster Susan Polgar (Mentored 2016 - Current)

I am so grateful to have interacted and worked closely with former World Chess Champion Susan Polgar from 2016-18, during my time under her mentorship in the “SPICE” program at Webster University. Susan provided not only invaluable advice on improving as a chess player but also offered insightful life and professional guidance that has truly shaped me as a person.

Susan also wrote the Foreword for my Berlin book, and I am forever thankful for such a wonderful gesture.

Dr.Joe Roberts (2016 - Current)

I first met Dr. Roberts during my Master’s at Webster University, where he became an invaluable mentor both personally and professionally. As Chair of the Management Department and Director of the Entrepreneurship Program, he has guided countless students. Dr. Roberts is also the National Program Director of the Coleman Foundation Faculty Fellows Program and was a recipient of the 2012 Peter Drucker Challenge.

His work spans entrepreneurship and innovation seminars worldwide, and he’s earned Telly and Aegis Awards for the documentary Entrepreneurship, Then and Now. With extensive experience as a consultant, he has helped many entrepreneurs secure start-up funding.

Mr.Sethuraman Sathappan (Mentored 2021- Current)

Mr. Sethuraman Sathappan, the COO of Emirates NBD India, has been a guiding force in my journey, sharing his incredible wisdom on the nuances of entrepreneurship. His insights have greatly contributed to my personal growth and the growth of Chess Gaja.

GrandMaster R.B.Ramesh (Mentored 2010- 2015)

GM R.B. Ramesh was not just my chess coach from 2010-2015; he also imparted many valuable life lessons that helped shape my personality.

I still occasionally interact with GM Ramesh, and every conversation brings new insights.

Chess Journey Timeline

2000

 Started Playing Chess and managed to finish in the top-10 in State and National Championship

2002

Got my first FIDE rating of 1975

2003

Won my 1st International Medal - Silver medal in the Asian U-10 Championship in Calicut

2004

 Won Bronze Medal in Asian U-12 Championship Individual category and a Gold Medal in the Team category in Singapore

2005

Won the Gold Medal in the Asian U-12 Championship in New Delhi. Also got to meet the then President of India, Mr.APJ.Abdul Kalam, in Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

2006

Trained with GrandMaster Elizbar Ubilava, former coach of GrandMaster Vishwanathan Anand, for 1 month in Benasque, Spain.

2007

Beat a GrandMaster for the first time! Won the Commonwealth U-14 championship in New Delhi

2008

Member of the team that won the Gold Medal in the World Sub Junior Olympiad in Turkey. Individual Gold medal in Commonwealth U-16 category

2009

Got the International Master title. Won Gold medal in Individual and Team Category in U-16 Asian Championship in New Delhi. Captained the Indian team to a silver medal in the World SubJunior Olympiad in Turkey.

2010

 Finished 9th in the World Youth U-18 Championship in Greece.

2012

Moved to the U.S for BS Marketing degree in Lindenwood University. Won 3 medals in the US Chess League (Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Board 2 First Team All-Star Player).

2013

Winner of Mid-America and Thanksgiving Open in St.Louis.

2014

Made 1st GM norm by being a joint champion of the Chicago Open. Made 2nd GM norm in DC International Open.

2015

Drew with World Championship Challenger GM Fabiano Caruana in a classical game in Millionaire Open.

2016

Graduated from Lindenwood and joined Webster University for an M.A in Management and Leadership with a certificate in Business Analytics. Became a GrandMaster by completing all the requirements in Philadelphia International.

2017

 Part of the Webster Team, which won the Final Four of Collegiate Chess in New York.

2018

Graduated from Webster and moved back to India to join an ed-tech startup as a Product Manager.

2019

Quit the job to start Chess Gaja (then known as Chess Gyaan). Got the FIDE Trainer title, the youngest in Asia at that point. Coached the Indian Sub-Junior team to the Sub-Junior Chess Olympiad in Turkey. “The Modernized Berlin Wall Defense” was published by Thinkers Publishing.

2020

 League Commissioner of Indian Chess.com League.

2022

Coached the Brazil Open Team in the Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai.

2024

Coach of the Mauritius and Eritea Olympic Chess Teams

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