Ananthi Chess Academy

♟️ About Ananthi Chess Academy

Ananthi Chess Academy (ACA) is a chess training and tournament organization based in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 2016, the academy provides chess education while also developing a substantial program of competitive events. ACA is affiliated with the Madurai District Chess Circle (MDCC), which operates under the Tamil Nadu chess structure, and the academy maintains several training locations across Madurai. The academy trains players from beginner through advanced levels and offers both offline and online chess coaching. Its programs combine structured instruction with practical tournament experience, while individual coaching is also available for players requiring more focused preparation. Tournament organization has become another major part of ACA's work, ranging from district and state competitions to FIDE-rated events and international Grandmaster tournaments. IO Pragadesh P is the academy's principal operational contact and Tournament Director for its major international competitions. In 2026, he directed the 2nd Athens of the East International FIDE Rated Rapid Chess Tournament and is Tournament Director of the upcoming Athens of the East 6th International Grandmaster Open Chess Tournament 2026. Scheduled for December 22–31 in Madurai, the festival expands the series to five categories and carries a published cash prize fund of ₹5.8 million.

🎓 Chess Training and Development

Chess education remains a core activity of Ananthi Chess Academy. The academy divides coaching according to player level, including beginner, intermediate, and advanced instruction. Its coaches include active chess players, which helps connect classroom training with practical competitive experience. ACA operates physical training centers in several parts of Madurai, including K. Pudur, K.K. Nagar, Ulaganeri, and Maapalayam. In addition, the academy provides online lessons for students outside Madurai and offers individual coaching sessions. The academy encourages students to participate regularly in tournaments. This approach gives developing players experience with competitive preparation, clock management, tournament rules, and rated chess.

🏆 Athens of the East Tournament Series

The academy is particularly associated with its Athens of the East tournament brand. Through this series, ACA has organized international open tournaments, FIDE-rated competitions, rapid and blitz events, and Grandmaster-level tournaments in Madurai. The 5th Athens of the East International Grandmaster Open Chess Tournament took place in December 2025. Its main Category A competition was a ten-round international-rated tournament for players rated 2000 and above. GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J. won the section with an impressive 8.5/10. The wider 2025 festival included multiple rating categories and a blitz competition. ACA advertised a total cash prize fund of ₹4.8 million, together with additional prizes. The scale of the festival demonstrated the academy's increasing role as an organizer of major open chess events in southern India.

⚡ 2026 Tournament Activity

On August 2, 2026, Ananthi Chess Academy organized the Athens of the East 2nd International FIDE Rated Rapid Chess Tournament at Vallaba Vidyalaya CBSE School in Madurai. The event was a nine-round FIDE-rated Rapid tournament played at 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move. IO Pragadesh P served as Tournament Director, while IA Ganesh Babu S was Chief Arbiter. The tournament carried a published cash prize fund of ₹300,000. ACA's 2026 program therefore continues both sides of its tournament strategy: shorter rapid competitions during the year and a much larger international festival at the end of December.

🌟 Athens of the East 6th International Grandmaster Open 2026

The academy's flagship upcoming event is the Athens of the East 6th International Grandmaster Open Chess Tournament 2026, scheduled for December 22–31, 2026 in Madurai. The festival consists of five categories. Category A is the main Grandmaster Open for players rated 2100 and above and is limited to 80 players, including titled and untitled competitors. The remaining sections include Below 2100, Blitz, Below 1800, and Below 1600 tournaments. Category A will be played at Amika Hotel, while Categories B–E are scheduled at Vallaba Vidyalaya CBSE School. The festival advertises ₹5.8 million in cash prizes, together with additional prizes including cars, motorcycles, electric bikes, and chess clocks. Chess-Results identifies Ananthi Chess Academy as the organizer and IO Pragadesh P as Tournament Director. Category A is scheduled as a ten-round Swiss-system tournament with international rating calculation.

🏛️ Organization and Local Chess Structure

Ananthi Chess Academy operates within Madurai's organized chess structure through its affiliation with the Madurai District Chess Circle. MDCC is itself affiliated with the Tamil Nadu State Chess Association and supports player, coach, academy, and tournament activity across Madurai. ACA has also cooperated with other chess academies on larger events. In 2025, for example, it jointly organized the Little England 5th International FIDE Rated Open Chess Tournament with Viyugam Chess Academy in Hosur. This combination of coaching, local development, inter-academy cooperation, and increasingly ambitious FIDE-rated competitions has made tournament organization a major part of Ananthi Chess Academy's current activity.