MVM Velmohan recalls the day nearly 10 years ago when he first saw a boy who had impressed the chess co-ordinator of Velammal School, the educational institution he owned.
“Velavan Subbiah said this boy has the potential to emulate Viswanathan Anand and wanted us to assist him financially,” Velmohan says about the day he met D Gukesh for the first time.
A decade later, one can safely say that the confidence wasn’t misplaced as Gukesh became the youngest-ever Chess World Champion, beating Ding Liren in Singapore last week.
Velmohan was at hand when Gukesh reached the pinnacle of the chess world. Last Friday, after Gukesh secured the winning point, Velmohan took the next flight to Singapore. An opportunity to witness Gukesh being crowned wasn’t to be missed. And as scores of lensmen hustle to grab a picture of the new king of 64 squares on his return to Chennai, Velmohan is standing in a corner, soaking in the moment. As security guards extricate Gukesh from the melee, Velmohan dusts off the garlands from the 18-year-old’s shoulder and embraces him in a warm hug.
Beyond parents D Rajnikanth and D Padmavathi, Velmohan has been the biggest pillar of support for Gukesh, and he has been one of the biggest catalysts in the popularity and legacy of chess in Tamil Nadu. The school the 50-year-old runs is behind 22 out of the 33 Grandmasters to emerge from the state.
If the Tal Chess Club is where Anand’s dreams began, for the likes of Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, R Vaishali, it is Velammal School. The institution has been at the forefront of implementing the ‘Seven to Seventeen Programme’ launched by former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa soon after the 2013 World Chess Championship match between Anand and Magnus Carlsen which Chennai hosted.
Each school was expected to teach the game to students and at Velammal, it became part of the curriculum. Each academic year, around 1,000 children enrol in a coaching programme.
“I would put it down to the competitions we conduct throughout the year and the special coaching programme which gives them a lot of exposure,” Velmohan tells The Indian Express. “In DV Sundar (former secretary of the All India Chess Federation) and Manuel Aaron (India’s first International Master ), we had good experts to nurture the children,” he adds.
MVM Velmohan (right), owner of the Velammal School, with Gukesh and his parents. Photo By Special Arrangement
Total support
Over the years, students from the school have travelled across India and even overseas for chess events. If the children have impressive results, they are sent on exposure tours as well. Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa have been part of the school team that won three world school chess titles.
“Exposure and travel is also part of the learning journey. If the students are able to manage academics and sports, it is our duty to provide that platform. So I sponsor our students’ travel and also support them with free education, accommodation and food,” Velmohan says.
To stand out among the large number of schools in Chennai, they turned to sports, especially chess as it was not an expensive proposition. “When they performed well, we provided free scholarships and hostel accommodation. From what I’ve noticed, middle-class students take sports seriously because they believe it can change their lives. It is not just chess. We have students who have excelled at badminton, swimming, athletics, skating, yoga and basketball as well,” he adds.
Every year, Velammal School brings world-class athletes to its campus for interactive sessions. Some of the illustrious names to have visited include Anand, Sachin Tendulkar, PV Sindhu, Kapil Dev, Virender Sehwag, Dwayne Bravo and PT Usha. In September, Paris Olympics double-medallist shooter Manu Bhaker was at the school to present sports scholarships worth over Rs two crore.
“These occasions are inspirational. Gukesh got inspired by Anand and today he is the world champion… it is a cycle,” Velmohan says.
Sometime in the coming days, the school plans to to greet one of its own – Gukesh – who is yet to visit the school and meet the students. “We are planning a mass felicitation programme.”
Having produced three players – Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali – who were part of India’s teams that won the Chess Olympiad earlier this year, Velmohan has a new target.
“We are already recognised as a factory for producing Grandmasters and a powerhouse behind India’s chess revolution. Our goal is to produce a minimum of 50 Grandmasters by 2030,” he says.
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