Meet Sandip Upadhyay: The teacher who is creating champions with his own money

The unseen asset

I love watching finance-related content. Be it videos, articles, or attending seminars, I love it as every time I learn something new. But recently, I stumbled upon an article that explained one of the important aspects of money in a beautiful way. The line that touched me deeply was:

Even if you pay off every debt, build a fully funded emergency fund, invest wisely for retirement, save for your children’s college fund, and pay off your house early, you could still be missing the most important personal finance principle: Giving!

These lines hit me hard! We get so busy ‘earning’ that we often neglect ‘giving’. And giving is not always about money; it’s about sharing knowledge, service, possessions - anything you have to offer. I have seen many financial advisors suggesting different perspectives on how to ‘look’ at our money. Yet, I never heard anything like what Sandip Upadhyay said:

We invest in our children - their schooling, well-being, travel, and hobbies. We prioritize those we earn for, but we neglect those we earn because of. I earn because of my students and that’s why they have a 100% right to my money. 

This philosophy is very different from conventional financial wisdom. Sandip Upadhyay is not a financial advisor, he is just a government teacher living in a remote village, Ratusinhna Muwada. Some days ago, I had the privilege of speaking with him. I can honestly say it was one of the most enriching conversations I have ever had. We talked for nearly two hours, and I am excited to share his story with you. 

Sandip Upadhyay has been a government teacher since 2000. For years, he poured his heart into educating the children of his village. He was fully focused on imparting knowledge from textbooks, believing it would open their minds to the world. But in 2018, his life changed after reading the book “You Can Win” by Shiv Khera. The book challenged his perspective. His focus shifted to a new purpose. He felt the textbook lessons were incomplete. So, he began telling motivational stories to his students every day. He started emphasizing the importance of purpose in life. “You should know the why behind everything you do,” he would say to his students. He had found his motive, and he wanted his students to find theirs. This shift in his teaching set the stage for something unexpected.

The pandemic struck in 2020. Everything slowed down. Chess became very popular in India. That’s when Sandip thought about introducing chess to his students. From his own experience, he knew that books were powerful tools. But he also recognized that many good chess books were in English, which can be a barrier for his students. He had to bridge that gap, and that’s when his colleague, Ashvin Patel, stepped forward and translated the book “The Magnus Method” into Gujarathi in just a few weeks. This was the beginning of Sandip’s dream of making his students good chess players.

Sandip is an unrated player himself, but he makes a special effort to learn alongside his students. “If I learn first, then only I will be able to teach my students,” he shared, explaining how he spends his nights studying chess in order to teach the next day. He invested his own money in buying chess books, printing puzzles, and providing chess sets for the students. He along with the support of his colleagues, takes his students to participate in tournaments as well. I was blown away by this dedication! He was not only teaching a game but also investing his time, resources, and heart. He jokingly said to me, “If you cut me open, I would bleed chess pieces.”

So far, his students have participated in more than 20 tournaments. They even took part in one of the biggest sports events in Gujarat, ‘Khel Mahakumbh’. This event gives a chance to players, especially from remote areas, to connect with sports. Many experienced players also take part in this event. Sandip didn’t miss this golden opportunity for two reasons: first, to give his students better exposure, and second, to get in touch with experts for guidance. After talking to stronger players there, Sandip discovered that “Woodpecker” is a great book for anyone wanting to improve at chess. As soon as he returned, he made this book available for his students. 

He has formed a rule for his students: Complete a book in three months, return it, and take the next one. This ensures that all those interested have access to these books and also motivates them to move on to the next book. 

One of his students’ impressive performances was at the tournament organized by the Children's Research University of Gandhinagar. They were the second school to grab a maximum number of prizes. In fact, they have finished in the top 10 in every tournament they have played.

Sandip’s students come from families of laborers, and chess is not well-known to them. But they have tremendous faith in Sandip. They believe he always wants what’s best for them. Under the District Level Sports School program, 14 of his students secured a Scholarship. This opportunity provides free education, lodging, and training from 8th to 12th grade.

Currently, the school has 124 students with nearly equal number of boys and girls. To date, Sandip has taught chess to approximately 200 children. This is not a small number and after seeing his commitment and his efforts, I have no doubt this number would grow. Their journey from motivational stories to chess teaching has been exceptional! Now, to move forward, he wants to find a coach who can guide his students. It’s not like they never received any guidance before. In fact, IM Anup Deshmukh once visited their school, spent an entire day with the students, and shared his invaluable insights with them. “I think this was our biggest achievement.” When Sandip said this, I could feel the happiness in his voice. 

How they got in touch with Anup is an interesting story. The Gandhinagar tournament, which I mentioned earlier, turned out to be fortunate for them. They almost planned to skip the event due to its entry fees. But this is where determination played an important role. Students and staff members teamed up to arrange the fees. The money was raised, they participated, and they got the golden opportunity to learn directly from Anup Deshmukh himself. Feels like a movie script! 

What’s really cool is how Sandip started working toward his dream, and people joined him! Andarsinh Chauhan, a chess lover from their village, jumped in this mission by organizing a chess tournament every single night! These kids are also so into it that they make sure to play or at least solve puzzles before going to sleep. Like teacher, like students! 

Sandip is not interested in being number one, he just wants to put in the maximum effort. He is ready to do whatever it takes. With all this, his dream is to create 50 Grandmasters and 10 World Champions! Further, he wants to build a school for at least 5000 students, where education is free.

This 45-year-young man, Sandip Upadhyay, loves gaining knowledge, be it about anything. Apart from his chess journey, we also discussed some books that personally helped both of us. “My daughter is studying MBBS, and I tell her that if you want to complete MBBS, you need to read the book ‘You Can Win.’ Actually, not only her; it’s a must-read for everyone,” Sandip shared with me. He mentioned this book at least 10 times during our conversation. It’s the book that changed his life. It’s the book that made him what he is today. He even recalled how his brother teases him, “You didn’t study much as a child, and now you are a dedicated student!” 

His words changed my perspective in a powerful way. I was processing a lot after our conversation. He showed me that our wealth is the impact we have on others! It might seem that Sandip is investing in his students’ future, but actually he is investing in their souls. And in doing that, he is enriching his own soul. 

If you want to support his journey, you can reach out to him at +91 9904210102 or on Facebook.