Aravindh Leading Prague Masters

Who is this guy?

Unless you’re completely oblivious to contemporary chess, you’re aware of young Indian superstars like Gukesh, Arigaisi, Pragg, and even Nihal Sarin. Two of them are still teenagers, and all four became famous as teenagers.

There’s another young Indian who can’t be ignored - Aravindh Chithambaram. But where in the world did he come from? (India, I know; it’s a metaphorical question.) He was 2588 at age 17, back in 2017, and six years later, in April 2023 (age 23), his rating had skyrocketed (/sarc) to 2607. Now? He’s 2745.1, with a rocket strapped to his backside. He has gained 138 points in less than two years, and 83 points in the last year.

That includes 14.1 points so far in the Prague Masters, where his +3 score of 5 out of 7 has him in clear first with a 2876 TPR, half a point ahead of Praggnanandhaa (whose 2025 continues to be spectacular). A few more months of results like these and he’ll start getting invites to the absolute top tournaments.

For a taste of what this relative youngster is capable of, let’s have a look at his most recent win in Prague, a blistering win with Black against Anish Giri. Aravindh is a player to watch.