Exclusive | RCB fan who became a world champion: The story of chess prodigy Pranav V | Chess News
Pranav V (Photo Credits: X) NEW DELHI: “Mera ground hai yeh (This is my ground)” — that was all Bengaluru-born cricketer KL Rahul could say, thumping his chest a couple of times after an unbeaten 53-ball 93 that single-handedly turned the tide for Delhi Capitals on Thursday night.With the Capitals reeling at 30 for 3, many had written them off, thinking Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had the match in the bag.But Rahul said no — much to the despair of a Chinnaswamy crowd and a passionate fan watching not far away at his home in Chennai, who had celebrated his one-month anniversary as the World Junior Chess Champion just last Tuesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!It’s a pain RCB fans know too well — and Pranav Venkatesh is no exception.”I really hope they win the IPL this year,” the 18-year-old tells TimesofIndia.com wistfully, still waiting for his team to lift their maiden title after 17 seasons.And no, it’s not just about Virat Kohli for him.”Of course, Virat is there,” he smiles. “But I like the whole team.”Cricket and Pranav go way back.As his coach GM Shyam Sundar M previously shared, it was cricket that brought the two together.From bottle caps to sponge smiley balls, they’ve always tried to keep their cricket games as quiet as possible during long hotel stays between tournaments.The 2025 FIDE World Junior Chess Championship was the first FIDE event held in Montenegro, and Pranav made it his own.But the teen is far from done, as he now aims even higher: the World Chess Championship title.That dream began at six or maybe six and a half.During a visit to a relative’s home, Pranav’s father, Venkatesh, was invited for a couple of friendly games.China no. 1 Wei Yi Exclusive: Norway Chess 2025, Indian chess stars & China’s chess cultureStanding beside his father, what caught little Pranav’s eye weren’t the moves, but the pieces.”They looked like animals, like the king was a lion, the rook an elephant. Not the usual chess pieces. That’s what drew me in,” he recalls.When he got back home, he asked Venkatesh for a board with those same quirky pieces.But that wasn’t to be.”We couldn’t find those exact ones, so we got a regular chess set. My dad taught me the rules, and that’s how it all started,” Pranav says with a laugh.Chess and books go hand in hand. For Pranav, it’s been about balance — learning from both books and the vast resources available online.”There’s so much available online now — from openings to endgame theory. But books still help a lot. I try to balance both,” he says.ALSO READ: How a room full of Grandmasters put an end to FIDE vs Freestyle Chess rowGrowing up, Pranav’s young shoulders were patted by two legends: Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand.”Magnus has this ability to grind down opponents from equal positions. I really admire that,” adds Pranav. “And with Vishy sir, I love how attacking his games are.”Before his best at the World Junior Championships, Pranav had already made his mark, winning the Chennai Challenges, Sharjah Masters, and Dubai Police Championship in 2024.Still, the World Championship came with its own pressure.”I was nervous in the first round. I had a good position but gave away chances,” he admits. “But once I settled, I found my rhythm. After the sixth or seventh round, I was leading. It again made me a bit nervous because that’s when it hit me that this could be my first World title.”A Class 12 student at Velammal Vidyalaya, Chennai, Pranav skipped his board exams this year for the championship and is expected to take them next year.With a month-long break behind him, he’s ready to return to the chessboard — with a couple of tournaments in Spain, followed by the Asian Individual Championship in Dubai from May 6 to 16.Apart from unwinding with hotel-room cricket between games, Pranav also makes time for regular walks to stay physically fit.From here on, he’s focused on getting stronger — both on the board and off it — as he doesn’t see chess as just a hobby: “It’s professional because I want to achieve more. I want to become the world champion.”Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
