Velammal Vidyalaya Wins Gold at World Schools Team Chess Championship

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) – Chennai’s Velammal Vidyalaya has once again demonstrated its prowess in the world of chess. The school, known for nurturing top chess talents like the reigning world champion D Gukesh and Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, clinched the gold medal at the prestigious World Schools Team Chess Championship held in Virginia, USA.

Situated in the Mogappair area of Chennai, Velammal Vidyalaya has been instrumental in the chess revolution of the city, offering expert training to numerous young chess players. The global chess governing body, FIDE, announced in a press release that after eight thrilling rounds, the 2025 World Schools Team Championship concluded in Alexandria, Virginia.

Pranav KP, playing as reserve on board five for Velammal Vidyalaya, secured a flawless performance alongside Kazakhstan NSPM's Imangali Akhilbay on board two, and Edisa Berdibaeva. Each finished the tournament with impeccable scores, winning all eight matches.

Velammal Vidyalaya accumulated a total of 16 match points across their eight games. “Rising above the rest with a perfect score, Velammal MHS School from India claimed the gold medal, winning all eight of their matches,” FIDE noted.

FIDE remarked how this victory adds to India’s thriving collection of chess titles, emphasizing the significant presence India has in the global chess scene. Velammal Vidyalaya’s success was largely anticipated as the school has a history of producing Grandmasters. Names such as R. Praggnanandhaa and Leon Mendonca stand testimony to the institution’s fine legacy.

The school has cultivated several Grandmasters, including SP Sethuraman, Mendonca, K Priyadharshan, and many others. Among the Women Grandmasters hailing from Velammal are R Vaishali, Varshini S, R Rakshitta, and B Savitha Shri. The students have the privilege of looking up to champions like Anand for inspiration. As the school's chess co-coordinator S Velavan remarked, students carry a genuine passion for chess while balancing their academic pursuits with ease.

Velammal Vidyalaya, carrying forward its legacy of winning the FIDE World School Teams Championship consecutively in previous years, adheres to the ‘7 to 17 programme’, initiated by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2013.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's National School of Physics and Mathematics bagged the silver medal, narrowly surpassing The Harker School from the USA on tie-breaks, which placed third. Astana 2 RSPM followed in fourth place.

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