Initiative of IIT Madras

The Shaastra Chess tournament has become a regular fixture on Chennai's chess calendar, with many grandmasters and international masters participating. Intensely curious and driven to explore, the student community of IIT Madras values rigorous analytical thinking, ingenuity, hands-on problem solving, and big new ideas. All these features are the characteristics of a good chess player, too.

Grandmaster Raahul V S of Tamil Nadu won the title at the 7th Shaastra Rapid rating tournament

GM Vignesh won the runner-up spot

Second-seeded GM Srihari LR was declared the second runner up

M Harsh Suresh’s win over IM Muthaiah AL helped him to achieve fourth place

5. Grandmaster LR Srihari won against former Tamil Nadu champion M Kunal in the ninth round. Irrespective of the loss, Kunal got fifth place

IM Dhulipalla Balachandra Prasad won against Nivedita CV of TN to grab the sixth place

GM Harikrishnan - GM Shyaam Nikhil P 1 – 0. The result favoured Hari to win the seventh rank

Top-seeded GM Harikrishnan AR was toppled by GM Vignesh NR in the eighth round

GM Shyaam Nikhil signed a peace treaty with his friend and foe, M Kunal

Raahul defeated the hitherto leader Vignesh in the final round to win the title and a cash prize of sixty thousand rupees

LR Srihari - S Rutherford 1 – 0

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is amidst a forest, with a rich flora and fauna. Varieties of deer, a large number of monkeys, and chirpy birds are a common site in the campus. Because of these animals, the speed limit inside the campus is just 20 KM per hour.

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is amidst a forest, with a rich flora and fauna in the campus

Monkeys and peacocks are very common in IIT Madras

Deers in the campus

Prize List

Final Ranking after 9 Rounds

Rk.

SNo

 

Name

Typ

sex

Gr

FED

Rtg

Club/City

Pts.

 TB1 

 TB2 

 TB3 

1

12

GM

Raahul V S

S16

2620CHE2026

IND

2254

TN

8

49

54

48,5

2

4

GM

Vignesh N R

S16

67782CHE2025

IND

2362

TN

7,5

55

59,5

47,75

3

2

GM

Srihari L R

S16

9590CGL2025

IND

2383

TN

7,5

54

58,5

47,25

4

5

IM

Harsh Suresh

S16

3720CHE2025

IND

2342

TN

7,5

53,5

58

46,75

5

13

FM

Kunal M.

S16

8874TRY2025

IND

2227

TN

7,5

53

57

47

6

3

IM

Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad

S16

IND

2380

AP

7,5

49,5

54

43,75

7

1

GM

Harikrishnan.A.Ra

S16

2373CHE2025

IND

2388

TN

7,5

49,5

54

43,25

8

45

WFM

Nivedita V C

F16

w

2390CHE2025

IND

1915

TN

7

49,5

53,5

40

9

22

CM

Sarveshwaran V

S16

3913CBE2025

IND

2146

TN

7

47

51

37

10

19

IM

Mohamed Anees M

S16

43491KGI2025

IND

2164

TN

7

46,5

50

36,5

11

23

Sham R

S16

4872CHE2025

IND

2142

TN

7

44

48

37

12

14

FM

Aakash G

U16

3873CBE2025

IND

2224

TN

7

43,5

47

37

13

6

GM

Shyaam Nikhil P

S16

2862CHE2025

IND

2338

TN

6,5

52

56

37,25

14

20

IM

Saravana Krishnan P.

S16

1834CGL2025

IND

2158

TN

6,5

50,5

55,5

38,5

15

7

IM

Muthaiah Al

S16

7927TLR2025

IND

2320

TN

6,5

50,5

55

36,75

Details

About the Author

Prof. Rathinam Anantharam is an A-grade international arbiter. Member of the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission, Chairman of the Titles Commission in the All India Chess Federation, Vice President of the Tamil Nadu State Chess Association, Chief Arbiter for six world championships, many Asian, International, and National Championships.

 

Devansh Singh edited the report