Anand's Soviet-style academy students ready for global stage
Financial Express Mumbai|February 08, 2024
BACK IN DECEMBER 2020, when India's first Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand started his chess academy, he had a modest dream: someone had "to carry the torch forward". Three years later, the torch is shining bright, with a queue of contenders ready to take on the mantle.
AMIT KAMATH
Anand's Soviet-style academy students ready for global stage

Three students from the first batch of WestBridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA) D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and his sister R Vaishali - have qualified for the upcoming Candidates tournament, a prestigious tournament to figure out the challenger to the reigning world champion.

Other promising prodigies at Anand's online academy are Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi, Raunak Sadhwani and Leon Luke Mendonca. While Arjun no longer plays in the junior category, Nihal, Raunakand Leon are - along with Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh- among the Top 10 ranked juniors in the world.

"The idea for the chess academy was to have a programme by which Indian youngsters carry the torch forward. I am very happy that the first group we picked are all doing so well now.

It's pretty much what I expected, but I will admit to being slightly surprised by how quickly they have done it. I think we have done extremely well there," Anand tells The Indian Express.

Anand is not the only mentor at hand: he has assembled a quartet of Grandmasters to help out with online classes.

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