Velammal MHS School from Chennai, India, swept the 2025 World Schools Team Chess Championship held in Alexandria, Virginia, with a flawless 8-0 match record, earning a perfect 16/16 points and clinching the gold medal with a round to spare. Key players included International Master Ilamparthi A, who scored 7.5/8 undefeated, Woman FIDE Master Keerti Shree Reddy, and FM Pranav KP.
The team outpaced strong contenders from Kazakhstan and the USA, reinforcing India’s burgeoning dominance in international youth chess. Officials, players, and chess experts alike praised the team’s strategic brilliance and composure under pressure.
Masterful Teamwork and Individual Excellence
Velammal MHS School’s championship run was marked by collective strength and outstanding individual performances. IM Ilamparthi A stood out as the star player, winning seven games and drawing one over eight rounds, demonstrating unyielding consistency and skill. Board 1 duties shifted from WFM Keerti Shree Reddy, who played three rounds, to Ilamparthi in later rounds, covering the top positions with stellar results.
FM Pranav KP also contributed significantly, achieving six wins and one draw without a loss, while IM Aswath S added several key draws that helped maintain the team’s unbeaten status. The team’s synergy and calmness during crucial moments, like their closely contested match against Kazakhstan’s National School of Physics and Mathematics, were pivotal in securing the title before the final round. Team members described their own dynamics as “strong,” “calm,” and “powerful,” reflecting a well-balanced and mentally resilient squad.
Legacy of Velammal and India’s Chess Ascendancy
Velammal MHS School is renowned as a cradle for Indian chess prodigies, having nurtured luminaries like World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, R Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali Rameshbabu, and Grandmaster Leon Luke Mendonca.
The 2025 victory adds another chapter to this legacy, emphasizing the school’s robust chess training programs and supportive academic environment that prioritize strategic thinking and competitive spirit from a young age. India’s dominant position in global chess is further underscored by recent milestones, such as Indian finalists in the FIDE Women’s World Cup and comprehensive team success at the last Chess Olympiad.
The intense competition for second and third places in this championship-won on tiebreaks by Kazakhstan’s National School of Physics and Mathematics and the USA’s Harker School-highlights the growing international talent pool, yet Velammal’s flawless score distinguishes them as a premier youth chess powerhouse.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This triumph transcends simple sporting success. It demonstrates how a nurturing educational environment coupled with disciplined teamwork fosters not only champions but thoughtful individuals capable of inspiring strategic dialogue and peaceful competition on a global stage.
The Logical Indian appreciates Velammal’s role in instilling perseverance, maturity, and intellectual rigour among youth, echoing values of empathy, coexistence, and respectful rivalry. We see this achievement as a call to expand such supportive frameworks nationwide, promoting holistic development where excellence in sports goes hand in hand with social values.
