Diving into "The Zen Mind" - India’s 98th Grandmaster, Aswath S
The final round of a Grandmaster Round-Robin is a high-stakes pressure cooker. For 17-year-old Aswath S, the equation at the Pune International GM Round Robin 2026 was unforgiving; he needed an explicit win with the Black pieces to claim his final GM norm and secure the ultimate title. Instead of letting the weight of the moment fracture his focus, the young talent from Nagercoil entered a state of complete calm, delivered a tactical masterclass, and emerged as India's 98th Grandmaster. Fresh off his historic breakthrough, Aswath sat down with ChessBase India to talk about his mindset, his legendary childhood idols, the backbone of his success, and why a single pawn push will live forever in his memory.
ChessBase India (CBI): Huge congratulations to you, Aswath, for becoming India's 98th Grandmaster. How were you feeling going into the final round today, and how do you feel after getting the coveted title?
Aswath S: Thanks for the wishes! On the morning of the final round, I kept my mind in "zen mode" and made a point not to think about the GM norm or the GM title at all. I just wanted to focus purely on the game ahead. Now that it's done, it feels amazing to have finally achieved this milestone.
CBI: You faced a tough setback early on with a loss to GM Abhijeet Gupta in the second round. What did you tell yourself after that game, and how did you manage to mount such a spectacular comeback?
Aswath: Yeah, the game against Abhijeet Gupta was a really tough loss for me. He completely outplayed me in all departments - opening preparation, time management, and overall game understanding. After that, I knew I had to reset. I got rid of all the external expectations on me and channeled that energy into spending more time on my opening preparation. That shift in focus helped a lot for the rest of the tournament.
When looking at Aswath's trajectory, his grandmaster journey is defined by incredibly dominant, high-performance peaks across his three norms:
Grenke Open 2025 - 8/9 (Norm with a round to spare)
First Saturday 2025 - 7/9 (2nd GM Norm)
Pune Int. RR 2026 - 7/9 (Final GM Norm)
Aswath: I must say it was my very first norm at the Grenke Open 2025. Everything just clicked there. I won the tournament with an incredible score of 8/9, secured the GM norm with a round to spare, and played at a performance rating of 2790. That will always be incredibly special to me.
CBI: Looking back at your games in Pune, which one would you highlight as your best creative effort?
Aswath: My first-round game against De Silva was my best game from this tournament. Although it wasn't a statistically perfect win there were a lot of mutual inaccuracies - the middlegame became incredibly sharp and complex. On move 17, I found a brilliant pawn push: 18. a4!! It is probably one of the best, most satisfying moves I have ever played in my entire chess career.
CBI: Take us back to the beginning. How did you first get introduced to the game, who was your very first coach, and are you still in touch with them?
Aswath: I started playing chess when I was just 3 years old because of my father, A.C. Siva, who is a professional chess coach. When I was a toddler, I used to just roam around his chess academy. Eventually, he noticed my affection for the game and started teaching me the basics. Because he's my father, he's always there, so I am definitely still in touch with my first coach! Senthil Maran K has also played a vital role in my journey. I want to thank him as well!
CBI: Your current trainer, GM Shyam Sundar , has played a massive role in your development and has travelled with you to numerous events worldwide. Tell us about your working relationship.
Aswath: My coach, Shyam Sundar sir, has been my absolute backbone for the past three years. He helps me in every single way possible whether it’s meticulous tournament planning, emotional support during tough moments, deep opening preparation, or any other chess stuff. Having him by my side throughout this journey has been invaluable.
CBI: Chess can often feel like an isolated sport, but community matters. Who are the friends and support systems that kept you going?
Aswath: I’m lucky to have a lot of great friends in the chess world. My closest peers are Soham Kamotra, Mohamed Anees, Ilamparthi, and GM Bharath Subramaniyam. Beyond my friends, I really want to extend a huge thank you to my family, my relatives, my well-wishers, and all of my coaches who believed in me.
CBI: Who did you look up to when you were learning the game, and whose style do you try to replicate on the board today?
Aswath: My childhood idols were always Bobby Fischer and Vishy Anand sir. Their games taught me so much about the beauty of chess. But currently, Magnus Carlsen is my absolute favorite player. I actively try to study and play in his relentless, high-precision style.
CBI: Now that the coveted GM title is next to your name, what is the next big goal? Will you be restructuring your approach, or is it business as usual?
Aswath: It’s exactly the same as before! The goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year remains unchanged. My immediate short-term goal is to cross the 2600 Elo threshold. From there, slowly and steadily, I want to keep pushing to cross 2700, and ultimately, reach 2800.
CBI: A final message to all the players who are fighting in the trenches for their GM and IM norms-what advice can you give to them after going through this journey yourself?
Aswath: I think they shouldn't keep that norm or title pressure on their mind. When you play with that heavy mental burden, it limits your creativity. Just focus on working hard, stay dedicated, and above all, love the game. The results will follow naturally.
For a closer look at the intense final moments, the post-game celebrations, and Aswath's first live reactions after clinching the title, check out the full interview detailing his incredible journey and the road ahead.
GM Shyam Sundar on Aswath Becoming a GM!
Question: Aswath took a major four-month break from classical chess at the start of this year to focus on his Class 10 board examinations. As his coach, how did you manage his transition back into competitive form so quickly, ensuring he could perform at a 2600+ performance level right out of the gate in Pune?
GM Shyam Sundar: After the Class 10 exams or even Class 12 exams for some students taking a three to four month break from chess is quite common. Even though Aswath was on a break, I made sure he stayed in touch with the game. We had him doing things like playing blindfold chess among themselves during class, and I would regularly send him chess positions to solve to keep him tactically alert.
They also followed top-level games closely, studying more than 10 hours a day sometimes, which kept them in good touch. Once the exams were completely over, we immediately dove into intensive training camps, which I conduct regularly. Because he maintained that micro-connection during his studies and jumped straight into rigorous calculation work afterward, he was able to regain his rhythm and sharpness incredibly quickly.
CBI: In the final rounds of the Pune International Round-Robin, Aswath faced immense pressure, needing to win his final three games consecutively to secure the title. What was your psychological strategy or advice to him going into that final stretch, especially right before the decisive Black game against Kannan Vaidyanathan?
Shyam: I am actually in Europe right now, but Aswath and I have been in this exact situation before. During our European trip back in December 2025, he faced a highly similar scenario where he practically needed to score a perfect 3/3 in the final rounds to secure a norm. Because he had already survived and succeeded under that kind of pressure, he knew exactly what the situation demanded. He generally performs exceptionally well when his back is against the wall whether he needs a 3/3 or a 4/4, he becomes intensely focused and determined.
My role was just to keep things simple and offer general suggestions. After he won his earlier games, I noticed a few technical things in his play that needed adjusting, so I reminded him to keep them in mind. I explicitly told him: "Don't be too hasty once you get a winning position." Even though he was winning his games, some of his conversions weren't quite up to par with the clinical technique expected at the GM level. I gave him constructive feedback on his time management and conversion accuracy, which helped him stay grounded and focused purely on quality chess before that final, crucial game.
CBI: Residential training camps aren't standard practice for every academy. What was the exact turning point or realization that made you think, 'Standard weekly sessions aren't enough anymore - we need to lock ourselves away in a dedicated camp environment to unlock Aswath's next level'?
Shyam: I strongly believe that an offline academy setup is an absolute necessity if you want to produce elite players. From a purely financial standpoint, running physical camps has massive hurdles. The profit margins are much lower compared to running standard online sessions because the overhead costs-like paying nearly ₹40,000 just for rent, plus electricity and maintenance that easily pushes total monthly expenses to ₹60,000-₹70,000 are heavy. It can be financially stressful to ensure the camps keep running continuously, and it's a risk because I can't afford to be away from the academy infrastructure for long.
But whenever I look at the results and see the profound bonding it creates, every bit of financial stress and pressure completely vanishes. Online sessions simply cannot replicate the human element. Offline, you witness a beautiful family-like bond develop between the coach and the students.
For high-level players in the 2300-2400+ Elo bracket, standard online classes aren't enough to elevate them. They need full-day immersion. Our camps run from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (sometimes stretching to 6:00 PM) filled with intense training, calculation blocks, and immediate feedback loops. When you combine that grueling 6-hour chess schedule with shared daily life, the players enter a zone of rapid, collective improvement that online training just can't touch.
CBI: What are other activities kids do apart from Chess? We saw some videos on the sports turf, where you were playing Cricket, Badminton, etc. How is that important? Is that only for relaxation and team bonding, or is physical fitness also a target?
Shyam: I actually introduced these outdoor physical activities about six months after opening my offline academy. It all started when one of my students pointed out how intense and exhausting the 10 to 5 chess sessions were. I realized they needed an outlet to release that heavy cognitive strain.
We started playing cricket on a nearby sports turf since we had eight players and everyone could participate. Over time, we expanded into badminton, paddle tennis, pickleball, and regular tennis. Now, it has become a mandatory part of our training camp routine. From 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM every evening, after a brutal day of mental calculation, the kids are out on the turf playing sports. Lately, we've even started doing morning sessions playing badminton from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, doing chess training from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and heading back out to the turf for cricket or sports from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM!
While it is brilliant for team bonding and relaxation, physical fitness is a major target. Sitting and calculating for six to seven hours a day requires immense stamina. Moreover, it completely breaks the isolation of the digital age. Most kids today are deeply distracted by social media, smartphones, reels, and YouTube shorts. By pulling them into physical sports, we give them a total digital detox. On the turf, a 2600-rated player and a 1600-rated player interact as absolute equals and close friends. They build deep bonds, go out for movies together, and keep each other healthy, both mentally and physically.
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