♟️ About Veer Chess Academy

Veer Chess Academy is a chess training and tournament-organizing academy based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The academy provides chess instruction and has expanded its activities into large FIDE-rated tournament organization. Moreover, it operates within the official Indian chess structure through tournaments approved by the All India Chess Federation (AICF), Tamil Nadu State Chess Association (TNSCA), and Coimbatore District Chess Association (CDCA).

The academy identifies Harikrishnan Jayaraman as its founder. No reliable public source currently establishes an exact founding year, so the academy’s history should not be assigned an unverified date. However, its current public activity includes chess coaching as well as the organization of the Manchester City Chess Festival in Coimbatore. The academy also promotes online chess instruction through its official Facebook presence.

The academy’s official 2026 tournament prospectus lists Kayalvizhi S as President, K. Mani as Secretary, and Vaishnavi A V as Treasurer. Meanwhile, founder Harikrishnan Jayaraman remains identified as part of the academy’s leadership structure. K. Mani serves as the principal operational contact for the academy’s FIDE-rated tournaments.

🎓 Chess Training and Player Development

Chess education forms an important part of Veer Chess Academy’s activity. The academy promotes chess classes for players who want to develop their skills, including online instruction. Its public Facebook presence also advertises online coaching for students outside India.

K. Mani, the academy’s current Secretary, has documented experience in chess instruction in Coimbatore. In 2022, the Dr. N. Mahalingam Chess Academy at Kumaraguru listed Mr. K. Mani as a trainer for a beginners’ chess coaching camp. The same mobile number, +91 88709 41083, appears in both those earlier coaching records and Veer Chess Academy’s current tournament communications.

Therefore, the academy’s tournament work connects with practical chess-training experience. This combination allows it to participate in both player development and formal over-the-board competition.

🏆 Manchester City Chess Festival

The Manchester City Chess Festival 2026 is Veer Chess Academy’s major international-rated tournament project in Coimbatore. The official prospectus presents the festival directly under the Veer Chess Academy name and divides it into two major FIDE-rated competitions.

Category A is the 1st Manchester City International Open FIDE Rated Tournament. It takes place from October 17–21, 2026 at Sri Krishna Goundar Kalyana Mandapam in Ganapathy, Coimbatore. The tournament is open to all players and carries AICF event code 486239/TN/2026.

Players compete over nine rounds using the Swiss system. The time control is 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move from move one, making Category A a full classical FIDE-rated competition. In addition, the organizers advertise ₹1,150,001 in cash prizes, with separate overall, rating-category, youth, veteran, and accessibility awards.

Veer Chess Academy also provides free shared accommodation for players during the tournament. This represents a substantial organizational component of the event and broadens access for players traveling to Coimbatore.

⚡ Manchester City Rating-Restricted Competition

The festival continues with a second major tournament from November 27–29, 2026. This competition is the 2nd Manchester City Below 1800 International FIDE Rated Tournament, which Veer Chess Academy also organizes in Coimbatore.

The Below-1800 event again uses a nine-round Swiss format. However, the time control changes to 30 minutes plus 30 seconds per move, while the tournament remains FIDE-rated. It also carries an advertised cash prize pool of approximately ₹1.15 million.

Together, the two competitions create a broader Manchester City Chess Festival program. The first event provides an unrestricted classical open, while the second gives eligible sub-1800 players a separate international-rated competition. Consequently, Veer Chess Academy organizes opportunities for players across a wide range of rating levels.

🤝 Tournament Administration and Chess Partnerships

Veer Chess Academy conducts its FIDE-rated events within the established Tamil Nadu chess structure. The Tamil Nadu State Chess Association lists the 1st Manchester City International Open in its official tournament calendar and identifies Veer Chess Academy as the organizing academy.

The tournament also works closely with the Coimbatore District Chess Association. Entry-fee arrangements in the official prospectus use the district association’s account, while Coimbatore DCA officials appear alongside the tournament organization team.

Meanwhile, IA Vijayaraghavan V serves as Chief Arbiter for the Manchester City Chess Festival. The combination of federation approval, district-association involvement, an International Arbiter, and several registration platforms supports the academy’s move into larger FIDE-rated tournament organization.