IM Jubin Jimmy and WCM Aaradhya Das win 5th Pursue Your Chess Scholarship of Rs.1,50,000
The longest Scholarship under the HelpChess Foundation ‘Pursue Your Chess’ is back this year. This 5th edition of the Scholarship has the amount of Rs. 1,50,000. The person behind this scholarship, Ashwin Subramanian is now a well-known person in the chess world. He has provided financial and technical support to many chess players. Every year, he has increased the Scholarship amount by Rs. 25,000 showing his commitment to nurturing Indian talents. The winners of this year’s Scholarship are IM Jubin Jimmy from Kerala and WCM Aaradhya Das from Tripura. Out of the total amount, Jubin Jimmy won Rs. 1,25,000 and Aaradhya Das won Rs. 25,000.
The story behind ‘Pursue Your Chess’
In 1991, a boy in 9th standard wanted to buy a book on 2 Kasparov-Karpov matches which cost around Rs.35. But he could not buy it because it was too expensive for him. He could not afford traveling or coaching to pursue a career in chess. Eventually, he gave up on that dream and focused on something else. Cut to 5th September 2018, the same person announced a scholarship of Rs. 50,000 to help the rising chess players in India. Needless to say, his objective is to ensure that no chess player quit their chess career for lack of money.
Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours. - Les Brown
This person is none other than ‘The Heart Rate Guy’ of the chess world – Ashwin Subramanian. He is a chess lover who works in Intel for well over 2 decades now. He enjoys developing automation solutions as much as he enjoys developing financial solutions for talented chess players.
I want to ensure talented players don’t quit pursuing their chess goals for lack of money to play in tournaments, to get study material or to get world class coaching. I also hope that this inspires corporate sponsorship. - Ashwin Subramanian
There are several players who benefited from this scholarship and are working towards their goals.
| Year | Scholarship Winner | Scholarship Fund | Achievementafter the Scholarship |
| 2018 | Sammed Shete | Rs. 50,000 | Became an IM |
| 2020 | Shahil Dey | Rs. 50,000 | Became an IM |
| 2020 | Anirudhha Potawad | Rs. 25,000 | Elo went from 1800 to 2300+ & trained under GM Vishnu Prasanna |
| 2021 | IM Harikrishnan A. Ra | Rs. 50,000 | Crossed 2500 Elo |
| 2021 | IM Neelash Saha | Rs. 50,000 | Very close to GM title |
| 2023 | IM Kushagra Mohan | Rs. 1,00,000 | Participated in high-level tournaments |
| 2023 | Shriraj Bhosale | Rs. 25,000 | Crossed 2000 Elo & trained under GM Shyam Sundar |
Like every year, this year we received many applications from chess players around the country. After carefully going through each and every application, two winners are selected.
IM Jubin Jimmy: Recipient of Pursue Your Chess Scholarship worth Rs. 1,25,000
This 18-year-old boy from Kerala has shown a phenomenal performance in recent years. Jubin’s father taught him chess when he was just 7 years old. He immediately picked up the game and showed immense improvement. In order to ensure that Jubin does not give up on chess, his father gave up his business. He had to travel with Jubin to various places for his tournaments which affected the business. He joined another company but eventually had to resign because they did not allow him to take long leaves for his son’s tournaments. While Jubin’s father’s company did not support him, Jubin’s school provided significant support by allowing him to take leaves. What made this tough journey even more challenging was the lack of financial support. Despite these hurdles, Jubin kept on improving his game and is now an international master with a rating of 2441.
Jubin’s achievements:
1) Bronze medal in the U-17 National Tournament in 2021
2) Bronze medal in the U-15 National Tournament in 2020
3) Winner of the IIFL U-13 International tournament
4) Winner of CCS Chess Festival 2023 FIDE Open Rapid Championship
What is more surprising is that Jubin achieved all of this without any permanent coach! Throughout his self-coaching journey, Jubin’s mantra was to study his own games, regardless of the results. Many chess players suffer due to a lack of financial support. Jubin’s father reached out to state government officials and some private entities to seek support for Jubin’s career. But he received no positive response. That’s why the ‘Pursue Your Chess’ Scholarship will be instrumental in helping him achieve his dream.
Interview with Jubin Jimmy:
Rasika Ratnaparkhi (RR): When did your chess journey actually start?
Jubin Jimmy (JJ): I started playing chess when I was 7 years old. My father taught me this game during the summer vacation. I have two active and mischievous brothers, so we often used to do something that would trouble my father. One day, he bought a chess set worth Rs.60 and taught us how to play it. He did this to keep us engaged in some activity rather than indulge in some mischief. I was immediately fascinated by the game and wanted to learn more. We used to play it frequently with my father and he used to always beat me. But after a certain period, I started winning against him! My father recognized my growing interest, so he enrolled me in the District U-9 chess tournament. I won the tournament and qualified for the State-level tournament. I performed well and got selected to play in the National tournament. However, at the National level, I managed to score only 3 points out of 9, which made me realize that I needed to improve. That’s when I started taking chess seriously.
RR: How did watching study videos, and learning from your games help you to perform better without any coach?
JJ: Initially, I had a coach, but as I progressed and gained more ratings, I realized that there were very few coaches in my state. So, analyzing my own games, even if I lose or win, became my primary method of improvement. It allowed me to learn from my mistakes. I discovered that developing a strong opening repertoire was crucial for improving my game. In addition to that, understanding my playing style and focusing on it turned out to be the most important decision for my progress.
RR: What was your reaction when you got to know that you had won the scholarship? How are you going to utilize this fund?
JJ: When I heard the news that I had won the scholarship, I was very happy and excited. I felt a sense of gratitude. This scholarship will not only validate my efforts but also open up new opportunities for my chess career. I am going to use this fund to play in strong tournaments and pursue my grandmaster title.
RR: Which is your best game to date?
JJ: My favorite game is the recent game against Aditya Mittal in Abu Dhabi Masters 2024. I won the game in just 23 moves. I played a series of top engine moves back-to-back. It’s my new favorite game.
WCM Aaradhya Das: Recipient of Pursue Your Chess Scholarship worth Rs. 25,000
Aaradhya Das is a talented prodigy from Tripura born in 2014. She started playing chess when she was five and a half years old. Her parents used to take her to a local chess club where she played chess often. Her interest in the game grew further and she started participating in tournaments. From the very first tournament she had participated in, Aaradhya showcased her potential by winning prizes. This year, she became a Women's Candidate Master with a current rating of 1932. For Aaradhya, one of the best parts about participating in different tournaments is that she gets to travel to different states and countries.
Aaradhya’s achievements:
1. Bronze medal at the National School Chess Championship U-9 in 2023 held in Hosur, Tamilnadu
2. Bronze medal at the National School Chess Championship U-11 in 2024 held in Patna, Bihar
3. Team Silver medal (Classical) at the Asian Youth Chess Championship U-10 2024
4. Individual Bronze medal (Classical) at the Asian Youth Chess Championship U-10 2024
5. Team Gold medal (Blitz) at the Asian Youth Chess Championship U-10 2024
6. Gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Chess Championship U-10 in 2024
While she was returning from Colombo by flight, she was felicitated by Air India for her achievement at the Commonwealth tournament. What a unique honor! She is the youngest Candidate Master of North-east India. She gets inspired by Gukesh and his playing style.
Interview with Aaradhya Das:
Rasika Ratnaparkhi (RR): Who was your first coach? What did you learn from him?
Aaradhya Das (AD): My first coach was Binoy Singha Sir and Bappi Deb Sir from whom I learned some basics and a few openings.
RR: What are some lessons that have impacted your playing style?
AD: I think the Woodpecker Method book helped me a lot. Apart from that, lessons from Swayams Mishra and Prasenjit Dutta in group class have also helped me.
RR: Are you currently supported by any sponsors, or have you received any sponsorship offers?
AD: Currently no. However, I was once sponsored by Radha Krishna Jewellers, School of Science, Unity Gastro and Liver Hospital, Sister Spices, and Annada Spices Industry.
RR: How are you going to utilize this fund?
AD: I will use this fund to take coaching from Swayams Mishra Sir.
As she continues her journey towards becoming a Grandmaster, we believe the ‘Pursue Your Chess’ Scholarship will be of immense help.
About Ashwin Subramanian
Ashwin Subramanian is the man who started and is continuing the longest scholarship under the Help Chess Foundation. He is a software engineer by profession, a talented photographer, and a passionate chess lover. He won the ACO World Amateur Championship in 2018. He believes in merging different technologies in chess. One such example is the ‘Heart Rate Monitor’. It was used in Death Match 1.0, Death Match 2.0, and Tata Steel Chess India 2022. This helped the players to understand how their heart rate changed before, during, and after the match.
While Ashwin is helping many chess players achieve their dreams, we should have a look at his achievements as well:
1) 3rd in the Mysore District Chess Tournament in 1992.
2) Best Unrated Player Awards in Rapid Tournament organized by ChessMine in 2017.
3) ACO World Amateur Chess Championship in 2018.
Interview with Ashwin Subramanian:
Rasika Ratnaparkhi (RR): What motivates you to keep giving back to the chess community?
Ashwin Subramanian (AS): My motivation to give back to the chess community stems from the profound impact this game has had on my life. For me, Chess is a microcosm of strategy, discipline, and resilience. Witnessing the transformative power of chess - how it fosters critical thinking, shapes character, and builds lifelong friendships - fuels my desire to contribute. Knowing that my efforts can help someone else pursue their passion is incredibly rewarding.
RR: Could you share a story or moment that made you realize the importance of your philanthropic work in chess?
AS: I have witnessed many stories that have reinforced the value of philanthropic work in chess. The one that I remember quite vividly is that after the Vidit-Anish death match, it was amazing to witness Anish celebrate emphatically after his hard-fought win. But within a few minutes after this, he announced backstage that it was a very close match and he did not want any more prize money than Vidit received so he gave back 40% of his prize money to ChessBase India. It was used to fund a scholarship for Ilamparthi who went on to become the World U14 champion! It was inspiring to witness this first hand and his gesture made a huge difference in the life of a budding chess talent!
Apart from the Help Chess Foundation, Ashwin is an active supporter of the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation and ChessGrurukul Charity. He has helped many chess players with their technology-related questions so that they can make the right choices (Laptops, Streaming, Speedify, etc.).
Ashwin’s message for all the young budding talents:
It takes a lot of courage and conviction to pursue passions outside the 'mainstream' so I truly admire you for doing so! Keep setting big audacious goals and pursue them relentlessly!
About Help Chess Foundation
HelpChess is a registered charitable Trust with 80G tax benefits run by ChessBase India. The aim is to nurture chess talent to find the next great Indian chess player. If you are a believer of growth in Indian chess and would like to contribute towards the goal then please go to the official website. The website is made to ensure transparency and ease of transfer of funds. If you contribute towards the foundation, you will not only be supporting chess talents to fulfill their dreams, but you will also receive tax benefits. Decide whether you want to become a “Believer” or “Big Believer” (Contribution above Rs.50,000). In case you would like to institute a scholarship, you can write to us at chessbaseindia@gmail.com. We assure you that every single penny that you contribute will be used to support Indian chess players.
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IM Kushagra Mohan and Shriraj Bhosale: The Winners of the 4th edition of Pursue Your Chess Scolarship
@ 25/07/2023 by Sneha Tiwari (en) |
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Arshiya Das from Tripura wins the S. Krishnan Scholarship of Rs.50,000
@ 23/07/2023 by Sneha Tiwari (en) |
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Harikrishnan and Neelash win Pursue your Chess Scholarship-3, get Rs.50,000 each
@ 09/11/2021 by Sagar Shah (en) |