Chennai's chess nursery: The learning ground for Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa

Chennai's chess culture has flourished, with Velammal Institutions being the catalyst behind the chess revolution in the city. The school, where GMs D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa learned the intricacies of the sport, has been instrumental in promoting chess as a part of the curriculum. The '7 to 17 programme' introduced in schools by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2013 has produced matching results, with Velammal Institutions winning the World School Chess championship for five successive years.