Thrissur: Kottayam native Renjith Balakrishnan, CEO of Premier Chess Academy, is making a major push to promote chess in Kerala. His academy, valued at ₹200 crore, offers online training to 20,000 individuals across 20 countries.

Beyond providing a platform for chess enthusiasts, the academy also undertakes charitable initiatives worth lakhs for the welfare of players and creates well-paying jobs for coaches. Renjith is the brainchild of the world’s first fixed 20-board format tournament, the Kerala Premier Chess League (KPCL), scheduled to take place at the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on September 6 and 7. An estimated ₹1 crore is being invested in the event.

“The idea of an online academy came to me in 2020, when a chess playing friend lost his job due to COVID. At the time, I was in the US. I began online training with him as a coach. In 2022, I quit my job and, along with my friend Deepak Subramani, launched the Premier Chess Academy in Thiruvananthapuram,” Renjith said.

The academy now has over 100 FIDE-rated instructors, several employees and senior players, offering what many in Kerala’s chess community see as a beacon of hope.

Senior chess player and arbitrator K.A. Yunus of Ernakulam said Renjith’s initiatives have eased the struggles of many in the sport. “The dialysis expenses of a chess player in Perumbavoor are being covered regularly. Emergency financial assistance was given to a senior player injured in an accident,” Yunus noted. O.A. Raju, a senior FIDE-rated player from Thrissur, added: “When I shared my grief over not having a house, I was given five cents of land free of cost. They also promised to build me a home.”

Preparations for KPCL, described as the world’s first fixed 20-board chess league, are complete. The jersey unveiling, theme song release sung by Usha Uthup and player auction have already been held. Of the 654 players who registered globally, 350 were selected for the event. The line-up includes Grandmasters M.R. Venkatesh, Swayams Mishra, Deepan Chakkravarthy and other international players. The total prize pool is set at ₹25 lakh.