Harish Kumar\u2019s journey in chess began at an early age, driven by a passion that eventually became his life\u2019s work. By 21, Harish had already started coaching kids offline, helping them gain confidence and sharpen their skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was one of the first to seriously commit to online coaching,\u201d Harish recalls. I\u2019ve taught for up to 10 hours a day, working with players ranging from beginners to experienced competitors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This leap into the online world turned out to be a defining moment in his career. Through his academy, Chessedify International Academy, Harish has reached students from countries like the US, UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Over the years, he has coached more than 1,000 students and logged over 20,000 hours of online teaching. In 2016, he earned the prestigious Arena Grandmaster (AGM) title, a significant milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harish\u2019s students have achieved remarkable success as well. Notable names include Dhruva Patil, a ChessKid National Champion, and several USCF Candidate Masters. \u201cOne of my students won a silver medal in the Below 1600 Delhi International Tournament,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harish believes in personalized teaching. \u201cI don\u2019t follow a rigid syllabus,\u201d he explains. \u201cEvery student is unique. I adapt my teaching based on their strengths, weaknesses, and learning pace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Harish, the key to coaching lies in understanding chess concepts deeply. \u201cTeaching chess isn\u2019t just about setting up positions and asking questions. Students need to understand the underlying concepts before they can apply them effectively,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harish offers thoughtful advice to parents of aspiring chess players. \u201cIf your child shows potential to become a top player, invest in their growth, but don\u2019t pressure them to perform. Let them mature naturally and reach their full potential in their own time,\u201d he advises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He emphasizes the importance of focusing on the learning process rather than just tournament results. \u201cWinning isn\u2019t the only goal. Ask yourself if the experience helped your child grow their knowledge or problem-solving skills,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harish also highlights the value of resilience. \u201cA true champion never gives up. Even in a losing position, they fight to turn the game around. That\u2019s the mindset that creates winners,\u201d he explains. He also stresses the importance of physical fitness, saying, \u201cA healthy body supports a healthy mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Harish, chess is more than just a game\u2014it\u2019s a tool that builds essential life skills. \u201cChess teaches critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. It helps kids become smarter and more analytical,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He points out that many chess players excel in fields like programming, architecture, and engineering due to the strategic thinking and planning they develop through the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a player, Harish has an impressive record. He has won the Udupi District Championship multiple times, placed in the top 10 at state tournaments, and ranked 18th in national competitions. Recently, he was the 2nd runner-up at the SNG School of Chess Open Rapid Tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harish also enjoys playing online chess. He recently placed 3rd in an hourly bullet arena with 238 participants on Lichess and 5th in a blitz event with 850 players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to coaching, Harish organized over 50 tournaments in the Udupi and Mangalore districts. While proud of his contributions to tournament organization, Harish\u2019s primary focus now lies in coaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harish finds inspiration in Venkatachalam Kameswaran, India\u2019s first international arbiter and the first official coach of Viswanathan Anand. Harish even wrote a book, The Journey to Temple City<\/em>, about Kameswaran\u2019s 2009 visit to Udupi, where he served as the chief guest for a tournament Harish organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKameswaran\u2019s dedication deeply inspired me,\u201d Harish says. \u201cI strive to pass on his values of hard work and commitment to my students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harish is also deeply influenced by chess legends like Bobby Fischer and Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Capablanca. \u201cI\u2019ve studied Fischer\u2019s 800 games\u2014it was a tremendous learning experience. Capablanca\u2019s endgames have been a huge inspiration for me,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harish is excited about India\u2019s growing influence in the chess world. \u201cIndia\u2019s talent pool is incredible,\u201d he says, citing Gukesh\u2019s recent achievement as a world champion. \u201cIt\u2019s proof that with hard work and excellent coaching, anyone can achieve their dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Harish Kumar, chess is more than just a career\u2014it\u2019s a way of life. Whether through coaching, organizing tournaments, or inspiring future champions, Harish\u2019s contributions to the chess world leave a lasting impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn more about Harish\u2019s work or to join his academy, visit <\/a>www.chessmentor.in<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Harish Kumar\u2019s journey in chess began at an early age, driven by a passion that eventually became his life\u2019s work. By 21, Harish had already started coaching kids offline, helping them gain confidence and sharpen their skills. \u201cI was one of the first to seriously commit to online coaching,\u201d Harish recalls. I\u2019ve taught for up…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":21375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[952],"tags":[4248,4249,4247],"class_list":["post-21374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agency-news","tag-chess","tag-chess-players","tag-harish-kumar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21374\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rvrising.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>The Future of Chess in India<\/h3>\n\n\n\n