Priyadharshan Kannappan

Hello, I’m

Priyadharshan

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

My Story

My Childhood

Born in Madurai on 1st December 1993, he got introduced to the magical world of Chess at the age of 6.5, thanks to his brother Prasanna. Since then, Chess has been an integral part of his life! His interest in Chess kept growing due to his continued success in the state and national level events, where he consistently finished in the top-10 rankings, which motivated his parents to help him pursue his passion!

My Adolescence

This was an amazing period of his life, as he travelled around the world (10 countries) and played a game that he dearly loved! He also won all his age category medals in his adolescence. He picked up the International Master title at 16, winning the Asian U-16 Championship in New Delhi in 2009. The most memorable moment for him in his adolescence was meeting the former President of India, Mr APJ. Abdul Kalam in Rashtrapathi Bhavan in 2005, as he got an invitation to meet him after winning the Asian U-12 championship.

My Adulthood

He moved to the U.S. at 19 to do his B.S. in Marketing degree from Lindenwood University in St.Louis, Missouri. The U.S education gave him a whole new perspective on life, as he got to meet amazing people from all over the world, and some of them are very good friends of his now! As he completed his undergraduate degree, he also became a GrandMaster at the age of 23. Then he went on to complete his M.A in Management and Leadership from Webster University, where he got to train under the legendary Susan Polgar!

In 2018 he moved back to India, and now he is on his startup journey to build a world-class chess organization!

My Interests

Books

He’s a big fan of non-fiction titles, specifically on the following topics: History, Social Sciences, Business, and Biography. He loves reading in Tamil & English. Would you believe it if he finished the whole “Ponniyin Selvan” Tamil book series at the age of 11!

Movies and Sitcoms

Movies under “Slice of Life” or “Comedy” would be his to-go pick on any given day! He used to watch many movies in his younger days, but these days watches only the ones that are highly recommended. He prefers to watch movies in Tamil and Malayalam!

Writing

It’s no surprise he loves writing—he’s the author of “The Modernized Berlin Wall Defense” and has contributed articles to top chess magazines and websites. He now shares his experiences with a global audience through a monthly Chess Gaja blog. Beyond chess, he’s penned a few Tamil poems over the years as well.

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.