Chess Academy — Chennai — Est. 2008
Kingside trains kids, teens and adults to think before they touch a piece. Structured programs from first move to FIDE title norm, coached by titled players who still compete.
We don't teach moves. We teach the minute before the move — the pause where a player counts the checks, weighs the plan and chooses with intent. That habit wins games at eight years old and still wins them at eighty.
(02) Coach credentials
Every Kingside batch is led by a FIDE-rated, titled coach. Ratings below are official peak FIDE standard ratings.
01 / 04
IM · Founder & Head Coach
Peak FIDE
2450
Years coaching
18
02 / 04
WIM · Advanced Programs Lead
Peak FIDE
2310
Years coaching
11
03 / 04
FM · Endgame Specialist
Peak FIDE
2295
Years coaching
9
04 / 04
AFM · Online & Blitz Coach
Peak FIDE rapid
2105
Years coaching
6
(03) Programs by level
(04) The Kingside method
Three phases, one habit: understand the position before you choose the move. Every program follows this arc.
Principles before memory. Students learn why centre, development and king safety matter, then build a small repertoire they actually understand.
Plans, pawn structures and calculation. We train candidate moves, checks-captures-threats and the discipline of a blunder check on every move.
Where games are won twice. King activity, rook endings and theoretical positions, practised until they are automatic under clock pressure.
Since 2008.
(06) Upcoming tournaments
(07) Student achievements
Drag or swipe
My son used to play fast and lose fast. Two terms with Karthik sir and he sits on his hands for ten seconds before every move. His rating went from 1050 to 1390.
Priya NatarajanParent · Knight Craft
I started at 47 with zero theory. The adult beginner batch never made me feel late. Last month I played my first rated event and scored 4 out of 7.
Ramesh PillaiStudent · 1512 FIDE
Meera ma'am's endgame sessions are the reason I converted at nationals. She makes you play the same rook ending until your hands know it.
Nila KannanStudent · 1874 FIDE
We train from Singapore with the online batch. The coaching is identical to the in-person classes, and the weekly arena keeps my daughter hooked.
Arvind ShekarParent · Kingside Live
01 / 04
(09) Student portal
Enroll in batches, see every class on a calendar, register for tournaments and track your rating — all from the Kingside student portal.
(11) Questions
Our Kids Foundation program starts at age 5. It uses stories, mini-games and short sessions. From age 8, children join the regular level-based batches.
Your free trial class includes a 20-minute assessment with a coach. If you have a FIDE or online rating, we use it as a starting point. You can also try the "Find your level" quiz on the Programs page.
Yes. Same coaches, same curriculum, same batch size. Online students use a shared analysis board and join our weekly online arena.
We host FIDE-rated events at the academy and guide students through FIDE ID registration with the national federation. Most Intermediate students play their first rated event within six months.
Every class is recorded for online batches, and offline students can attend one make-up class per month in a parallel batch.
One free 45-minute class with a Kingside coach. We assess your level and suggest the right batch.
