Who is Pranav Venkatesh? Know about the Indian chess grandmaster, who recently won the championship

Know about Indian chess player Pranav Venkatesh: One of India's youngest grandmasters and a rising star in the chess world is Pranav Venkatesh. His reputation as a good chess player was further cemented when he recently made headlines by winning a renowned chess competition.

Pranav was born with a keen mind and great strategic abilities, and he accomplished amazing things at a young age. His chess career demonstrates commitment, diligence, and extraordinary talent.

Pranav Venkatesh is becoming a significant presence in the expanding Indian chess scene, motivating young players everywhere. This article examines his accomplishments, high points in his career, and what will make him a future sporting great. Discover more about this outstanding chess prodigy by reading on!

Who is Pranav Venkatesh?

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Pranav Venkatesh is a well-known Indian chess grandmaster who was born in Bangalore, India, on October 13, 2006. He started playing chess when he was six years old, and in 2022 he became the 75th grandmaster of India. Pranav won the World Junior Chess Championship (Under-20) at Petrovac, Montenegro, in March 2025.

With seven wins and four draws, Pranav remained unbeaten. He became the fourth Indian to win the World Junior title after Abhijeet Gupta (2008), Pentala Harikrishna (2004), and Viswanathan Anand (1987).

Securing his first two GM norms at the Serbia Open in 2021 and the Vezerkepzo GM event in Budapest, Hungary, in June 2022 were two steps in Pranav's ascent to grandmaster status. In August 2022, he won the Limpedea Open in Baia Mare, Romania, earning his last norm.

Under Magnus Carlsen's leadership, Pranav was instrumental in Offerspill Sjakklubb's victory in the European Chess Club Cup in October 2023. Notable wins over grandmasters Grigoriy Oparin and Jorden van Foreest were part of his performance.

Pranav has established himself as one of India's top young chess players thanks to his steady development and recent successes.

Pranav Venkatesh's education qualification

India's 75th Grandmaster, Pranav Venkatesh, attends Velammal Vidyalaya and is a student at the WestBridge-Anand Chess Academy. He attends the esteemed Velammal Vidyalaya, which is well-known for turning out elite chess players.

The renowned chess player Viswanathan Anand founded the WestBridge-Anand Chess Academy, where Pranav is a prot¨¦g¨¦. In 2022, at the age of 15, he became the 75th Grandmaster of India. In the Serbia Masters 2021, he achieved his first GM norm and became an International Master.

Pranav Venkatesh's career

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At the age of six, Pranav started playing chess and had a number of tutors, including Visweswaran Kameswaran. At the 2021 Serbia Open and the June 2022 Vezerkepzo GM tournament in Budapest, Hungary, he earned his first two GM norms. By winning the Limpedea Open in Baia Mare, Romania championship in August 2022, Pranav earned his last norm and rose to become the 27th grandmaster from the state of Tamil Nadu and the 75th grandmaster from India.

He participated in and won both the Magnus Carlsen Academy Challenge and the World U-16 Youth Olympiad in October 2022 while representing India. He later defeated Raunak Sadhwani in the final round to win the Challengers Chess Tour on chess24.

He and Offerspill Sjakklub participated in the 38th European Chess Club Cup in October 2023. Following a resounding victory over Asnieres at Le Grand Echiquier (France) in the previous round, Offerspill Sjakklubb emerged victorious under the leadership of Magnus Carlsen.

"Pranav is buddy and buddy is Pranav" was the tweet that world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen sent Pranav in response to his 5/7 performance, which included wins over Jorden van Foreest and Grigoriy Oparin in the final two rounds. Pranav participated in the fifth Puzzles World Championships, presented by chess.com, in January 2024 and placed fourth overall.

He did, however, put up the best fight against eventual five-time champion Ray Robson, winning 3-5 sets with a total puzzle score of 416-430. Pranav qualified to compete in the main section of the Chennai Grand Masters in 2025 after winning the Challengers division in November 2024. Pranav won the World Open Under-18 Rapid and Blitz championship at the World Youth tournament, which took place from December 13¨C17, 2024, in Slovenia, Terme ?ate?.

Another 18-year-old world champion from India will compete in the 64 squares in 2025. On Friday in Petrovac, Montenegro, Grandmaster Pranav Venkatesh emerged victorious in the open section of the 2025 World Junior Chess Championship.

In the open section, the teenager from Chennai defeated 157 players from 63 nations, including 12 grandmasters, to win the prize. Pranav finished the tournament with a score of nine out of eleven points, his defining moment coming in a draw with Matic Lavrencic.

Pranav Venkatesh's family

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An important part of Pranav Venkatesh's chess journey has been his family. Venkatesh, his father, is employed with Sonata Software Limited as a technical lead. Throughout his career, his mother, Indumathi V, has been a constant supporter.

Venkatesh made the incredible commitment to wait till Pranav became the Grandmaster, which he did in 2022, before shaving his beard.

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