At Premier Chess Academy (PCA), our vision is to transform kids into the world of chess & support them along the transition. Each and every kid at PCA deserves a special appreciation but we have shortlisted (selection criteria below) the students. Friendly advise, “for student’s those who didn’t make it through – you will make it one day and for those who are the stars of the month – continue the practice as your bar goes up”.
Here we go to recognize the stars of the month (January 2022) at Premier Chess Academy, Middle East!
1. Tristan Tibu Thomas
” Tristan is 8 years old and a Grade 2 student at Indian Learners Own Academy, Kuwait. He showed an interest in chess at 3 yrs when he saw a few older friends playing the game. We would play just for fun with him since we knew only some basic moves. But it was only last September that we enrolled him at PCA when an aunt noticed his game and advised to take his interest seriously. We believe he has improved his skills greatly and he talks to us as well with a lot of interest about various moves and also practices chess often. He also likes playing football and reading. We are thankful to his coach Mr. Afinu for his training and support and we hope Tristan will reap the benefits associated with learning chess and reach greater heights. ”
Coach feedback on Tristan:
” Tristan is a Self-motivated and highly talented kid who loves to play chess games and solve chess puzzles. His performance in the class while solving puzzles and practicing games is outstanding. He always finds an alternate solution for almost every chess puzzle. He always looks forward to learning new techniques. My best wishes to Tristan. Keep improving yourself and I am sure that you will achieve more heights in the future. “
Few games of Tristan:
https://lichess.org/liTPEGEn/white#59
https://lichess.org/fxWbEj8f/white#17
https://lichess.org/CdMYQWrL/black#38
2. Rishi Anirudh
” Rishi Anirudh is 7 years old, he is studying 2nd grade in IIPS school, Riyadh. He is fond of board games so we opted for Chess to improve his thinking ability & concentration. His interest and knowledge of the game has grown under the guidance of his coach Mr. Akash sir who takes due care to improve his gaming capabilities. He likes to solve a lot of different chess puzzles and learn new concepts to use in his game. He was excited to watch a few champion games on YouTube & He earned additional curiosity and enthusiasm about the game. Wishing Rishi more achievements in chess. ”
Coach feedback on Rishi:
” Rishi is an excellent and very obedient boy who enjoys chess and chess classes very much. Being his coach I am extremely happy with his progress and class performance. Rishi likes to solve a lot of new tactical ideas and concepts and tries to use them in his games. He also likes to know about different champions and learn from their games as well, Most specifically planning and strategy. I would like to wish Rishi all the good wishes and luck in his journey of learning chess and life. ”
Few games of Rishi:
https://lichess.org/m7MLzR8h/black
3. Ivana Mariam Mathew
” Ivana is 9 years old studying in Grade 4 in Indian School Muscat. She is a smart, independent and responsible child. She is an outgoing person and her interests are playing keyboard, singing, dancing and skating. It was during the pandemic times last year she showed her interest in chess and we enrolled her with PCA. She has shown great passion for chess and has been regularly practicing chess from the time she joined PCA. Mr. Ankush Bhardwaj has been an amazing coach and we would like to thank him for all the guidance and continuous support. ”
Coach feedback on Ivana:
” Ivana is a very brilliant student, she solves most of the puzzles given to her with high accuracy. She hardly misses any class and is very consistent with joining the practice sessions. Her interest and dedication to chess are what make her improve. I hope she keeps on showing such interest and dedication so that she can become a successful chess player. I wish her a successful life ahead. ”
Few games of Ivana:
4. Aniketh Praveen
” Aniketh Praveen is 9 years old and studying in 4th standard. He lives in Kuwait, his favorite sports includes Soccer, Chess, swimming & carrom. He is equally interested in arts and actively participates in dance and other cultural activities, a movie buff and computer games freak too. Learned his chess basics from his father and was very much interested to take it to different heights under coach Arya. ”
Coach feedback on Aniketh:
” Aniketh is passionate about chess and is also a very fast learner. He’s quite good at implementing the new ideas he is learning in the class. Most importantly, he never loses energy, always very energetic, and resourceful thinking is hovering in his mind. His gameplay is very consistent, which gives him a lead in the practice matches. He likes to learn new things and keeps influencing me to share experiences and knowledge. Keep at it, more to come!”
Few games of Aniketh:
https://lichess.org/qt0GY3Zz/black
https://lichess.org/OcYRnpfP/black#0
5. Ahmed Naufil Hasan
” Naufil is 9 years old and a year 5 student currently. He started developing his interest in chess while he visited Pakistan during early days of Covid 19 pandemic and could not travel back to UAE due to suspension of flights. He played with his cousin during that visit and once he returned to UAE, he continued to play chess at home with his father. Having had multiple games, it was observed by us that Naufil had shown good interest and keen to learn more. By chance in those days one of our acquaintances shared positive feedback about PCA and we decided to start with it on a trial basis. We loved to see his casual interest in chess since he started with PCA i.e. without compromising on his studies or any other extracurricular activity, he attends chess classes regularly and also participates in one or two practice sessions every week. It came to us as a surprise when his coach Mr. Atharva mentioned during November that he was moving to the next level within 3-4 months of joining PCA. Definitely, credit goes to Atharva who left no stone unturned to nurture Naufil’s chess skills in an extremely friendly manner. Furthermore, we are really delighted to see Naufil being selected today under category “Star of the month”. May he progress always (Ameen). ”
Coach feedback on Naufil:
” Naufil is an Enthusiastic kid who participates in every class activity with great passion. He plays very maturely and wins almost every game where he has a positional advantage. He is also very calm and proactive while making a decision which makes him a very strong player. He is very consistent with his strategies but is also flexible with a change of plan as seen in all the practice sessions and Weekly Tournaments. With a great fighting spirit, his games are a sight to watch. Naufil also takes the initiative to learn from his mistakes and makes sure not to repeat them. All his efforts are very much appreciable! His love for chess and hard work will surely take him to great heights. All the Best Naufil 👍 ”
Few games of Naufil:
https://lichess.org/qK7a9YNm#87
6. Karan Prakash Tilokani
” Karan is 11 years old Class 6 student of DPS MIS Qatar. He has been playing chess for the last 6 months and is a very enthusiastic learner who enjoys the classes and the game. His other hobbies include reading, lego building and singing. Since joining PCA his interest and knowledge of the game has grown tremendously. Coach Kumar Raunak is very friendly and professional. What I liked most about him is that he is very good at guiding the student through the thinking/analyzing process step by step by asking good questions instead of just telling the student what to do. My son learned a lot from him. ”
Coach feedback on Karan:
” Karan is a very enthusiastic Kid and always keen to learn new things. He loves to play matches and always tries to do something new on the chessboard. He is good at puzzles as well and grasping topics quickly. He always tries to use the tactics taught in the class. I am very happy with his progress. Best Wishes to him. Keep it up Karan! ”
Few games of Karan:
https://lichess.org/cUVbq9iv/black
https://lichess.org/1BBOjEUs/black
7. Omar AbuQadah
” Omar AbuQadah, in 9th grade. Omar likes to try new things and challenges. His passion for chess started in 2nd grade and continued playing. He loves games, math and basketball. ”
Coach feedback on Omar:
” Omar is doing very well in class as well as in tournaments. He started chess class 15 months ago and now he is a strong intermediate player and prepared for an over the board chess tournament too. His interest level in chess has increased and his attendance in class is 95% which shows his dedication. Omar likes to solve tactical chess problems and his main strength is good Calculation ability. I wish Omar all the best for all the success in chess and life. ”
Few games of Omar:
https://lichess.org/yI7Cem4l/black
8. Noel Arun
” Noel was introduced to chess during the lockdown period in Qatar in the year 2020. Initially he used to play with his brother. Soon we identified that he is really interested in chess. Since we couldn’t guide him and his brother beyond a particular limit, we started searching for chess classes and we came across an advertisement of Premier Chess Academy on Facebook. He attended a trial session with coach Jeet Singh sir and he found it really helpful & interesting. Since then he has been eagerly attending the coaching sessions as well as the Practice tournaments. He tries to solve chess puzzles and thereby improve his tactics day by day. Thanks a lot, to Jeet Singh sir who is affectionate and patient with the kids. He motivates the kids every time to progress further. Above all thanks to PCA which is an excellent platform for chess enthusiasts. Apart from chess, Noel enjoys playing keyboard & cricket. He loves to travel as well. ”
Coach feedback on Noel:
” Noel is a hard-working boy who enjoys every moment of learning new concepts. In the beginning, he was learning slowly but after informing him of his mistakes he focused and improved, then he learned fast and the good thing is he never gives up. He is very punctual in class and joins every class on time. He used to participate in practice sessions with great effort & always had a learning attitude while playing games. I wish him very good luck for his Chess Career and keep it up…Keep it up Noel! ”
Few games of Noel:
https://lichess.org/tpizSHR1/black
https://lichess.org/7qrXFkzQ/white
9. Ashleen
” Ashleen is a passionate and innovative 15 year old girl studying in grade 9 in the school DPS Jeddah . Her hobbies are painting, drawing, baking, reading books, playing the piano and playing chess. She loves playing chess and solving chess puzzles .She joined PCA in the month of July . Her coach Hardik Khurana is doing a wonderful job teaching her in an enjoyable way .We have noticed an improvement in her way of playing ,problem solving abilities and concentration. ”
Coach feedback on Ashleen:
” Ashleen is a very smart, calm, and sincere kid. She always tries to solve every position with enthusiasm. She likes to learn new tactics and strategies. Her puzzle-solving skill is quite impressive. She played amazing games against strong players. She joins her class on time and tries to improve her game more and more. She put all of her efforts into improving the games. I wish her the best for her bright future. Keep improving and Big thanks to her wonderful parents- Always supportive! ”
Few games of Ashleen:
https://lichess.org/nnzFFxz6/black
10. Farees Farhan Razavi
” Farees is 11 year old and a student of Grade-6 in Riyadh KSA. Farees passionate about chess, swimming and cricket. He is among the few children who wants to learn what they love for better and longer. A keen hard worker and trying to constantly learn from his mistakes to be a champion one day. That’s the reason he insisted to join PCA to go up for Glory. ”
Coach feedback on Farees:
” Farees is a very talented kid with a huge amount of positivity towards accepting failure. He never gets upset for any downfall rather he keeps up his pace and continues to put effort with more dedication. His ability to bounce back consistently after each failure shows his mental strength and character. His performance in this month is commendable since apart from solving puzzles at a good pace, he has been consistently increasing his lichess rating by playing practice sessions regularly which really makes him a worthy star of this month. Hope he continues to perform well and achieve his dreams in the long run. Being a coach I really feel lucky to have Farees as my student and wish him to have an extremely successful life. ”
Few games of Farees:
https://lichess.org/KH4Em4Fm/black
https://lichess.org/GCK81oTu/white
https://lichess.org/rZXPLBay/black
11. Alan Maneesh
” Alan is 10 years and studying in grade 5 at Noble International School, Doha, Qatar. He is interested in playing football and cricket. We noticed his talent in chess when he first learnt the basic moves from his father. Then we decided to help him improve his skills by enrolling in PCA. Now he attends daily practice sessions and improves his skills under the coaching of Mr. Kunal Kumar at PCA. He is getting ready to appear for the chess competition at school. We thank Mr. Kunal Kumar for the support and training which evolved Alan into a better chess player. ”
Coach feedback on Alan:
” Alan is a very active kid who joins class on time. He grasps the concepts very well in class. A very sharp mind and involves his own creativity, is very obedient and only speaks when required, otherwise he only listens to what is being taught in the class. He is doing very well and always has a positive mindset while playing games. He is regular with practice sessions and weekend tournaments. He is a logical thinker and always tries to use the tactics taught in the class. He solves all his assignments regularly and with remarkable accuracy. I wish him good luck in the future. I also want to say a big thanks to the parents who are always supporting him every time! ”
Few games of Alan:
12. Steffy Sam George
” Steffy Sam George, a 3rd grader currently residing in Oman, has been a part of PCA since June 2021. She got inspired to play chess by seeing her elder brother play. She really enjoys her chess classes and her practice sessions have really helped her to improve on her talents too. Playing chess has helped her to learn from her mistakes and move on to achieve more. A big thanks to her coach Mr.Rajesh who has encouraged Steffy to do her best. ”
Coach feedback on Steffy:
” Steffy is very ambitious, learns the concepts well & tries to implement them in her games. She learns from her mistakes & is interested to improve her skills. She used to participate in practice sessions with great enthusiasm & always has a positive mindset while playing games. She is currently growing her sharp tactical vision and good understanding of the game which will make her stand better. I wish her very good luck for her Chess Career…”
Few games of Steffy:
https://lichess.org/JYg0kVoq/white
https://lichess.org/WQAgUD0b/black
13. Reyansh Ranjan
” Reyansh is 6 yrs. old and lives in Dubai. He loves making friends and having lots of conversations. He likes to read and learn about Science, History and Geography. He is learning French and Arabic in his school. He loves to build LEGO sets and enjoys swimming. He joined Chess classes at PCA almost a year back under Pushkar Sir and has been keenly excited to master it. He wants to become a Grandmaster in Chess. ”
Coach feedback on Reyansh:
” Reyansh is a Riddle Man. I call him so because he is really good at riddles and that too at a small age. He is just 6 but his understanding is appreciable. He is a very friendly and fun-loving guy. He loves the company of his batch mates and even treats me as his best friend. He enjoys the game of Chess with great fun and enthusiasm. He is very kind and calm. Coincidence is that we both share birthdays on the same day. My Best Wishes are always with you Reyansh. Keep improving yourself and I am sure that you will achieve more heights in the future. ”
Few games of Reyansh:
https://lichess.org/ZL9tAJfD/white
https://lichess.org/M55jObKa/black
14. Andrew Thomas
” Andrew Thomas is a 6-year old Boy staying in Kuwait. He likes singing, dancing, mathematics and has a very keen interest in chess. He developed interest in chess 6 months back and started playing with his grandfather and uncles on a regular basis. I came to know about Premier chess academy through Facebook and enrolled Andrew 3 months back. In the last three months with the academy, Andrew has developed his skills and has improved his game. He loves the game so much that he often watches chess games of Grandmasters. He is a big fan of Bobby Fischer. I would like to thank Mr. Piyush, his coach, for teaching him the concepts and correct methods of playing and patiently listening and answering all his queries. Mr. Piyush conducts his classes in a friendly way, all the classes are lively and packed with puzzles and interactions. I wish Premier Chess Academy and Piyush sir all the very best and keep up the good work. ”
Coach feedback on Andrew:
” Andrew is a quick learner who learns the concepts well and tries to implement them in his games. He learns from his mistakes & is ambitious to improve his skills. He used to participate in practice sessions with great enthusiasm & always has a positive mindset while playing games. He is currently growing his opening skills and improving his understanding of the game which will make her stand better. I wish him very good luck with his Chess Career & Big Thanks to his parents who are always supporting him every time. ”
Few games of Andrew:
https://lichess.org/5nIdAzBo/black
15. Arnish Ashok Bhat
” Arnish’s rendezvous with chess started just over a year ago when he initiated playing with parents / grand-parents and preferred it over other board games. Before we could realise, he had already understood and mastered the game which made his opponents at home seem like amateurs. His moves were super-quick and he could laterally think across various pieces on the board at the same time. Seeing the spark in him, we decided to enroll him at Premier Chess Academy. Here he excelled and mastered the art of playing chess. Under the able guidance of Ms.Pavithra from the academy, his flair for the game increased manifold. Under the professional guidance, Arnish improved his skills tremendously by competing with peers in various routine and organised tournaments. We look forward to Arnish improving his game and in turn also bettering his professional chess rating. Once again many thanks to Ms.Pavithra and the team at Premier for nurturing the talent in Arnish. ”
Coach feedback on Arnish:
” Arnish is an enthusiastic kid who always joins class on time. He shows lots of interest and participates in all the class activities. He used to motivate himself and his aim is to reach a great height in chess. There are times when he has to face defeats but in those moments instead of giving up, Arnish learns from his mistakes and makes sure not to repeat them. He implements all the tactics in the practice session. Also, he used to ask a lot of questions which shows the increasing interest level for chess. He is constantly improving his game, his hard work will definitely help him to achieve new heights. Have a blast! ”
Few games of Arnish:
https://lichess.org/4x5JCMfK/black
https://lichess.org/LVgM8jAH/black
https://lichess.org/hR3ZaVdO/black
16. Maniya Nandlal
” Maniya is an 8 years old and a grade 3 student from Gems Westminster School, Sharjah. She is an intelligent and confident girl who loves to help others. She is passionate about dancing and singing and has also earned an orange belt in karate. During COVID-19 break, we realized it was time to work more on critical thinking and mental exercise than physical and that is when we came across PCA through Facebook. WE enrolled her in this academy and since then we have noticed a significant development in her thinking process. All the changes that we noticed were amplified by her coach Rinku. He is a great asset in her learning and development process. His feedback and the way of learning has helped Maniya immensely. ”
Coach feedback on Maniya:
” Maniya is a sweet girl who joins every class on time and plays practice sessions every day. She likes to face challenges and do continuous hard work to improve lichess rating and gameplay. She is keen and dedicated to her chess classes. She solves her homework assignment regularly. She likes to do puzzles on lichess and learn new tactics. Her famous topic is Back rank checkmate. Her hard work and positivity will make her touch great heights in life.”
Few games of Maniya:
https://lichess.org/uD0dIcY9/black
https://lichess.org/g7n7cupT/black
17. Safal Koirala
” Safal is a rich versatility, soft heart, creative and lovely Son. He is 12yrs old Boy. He is the pride of an Indian mother Moni Srivastava and Nepalese father Bijay Koirala. He has a keen interest in reading, writing, playing, singing, dancing, music, and is eager to know about the world. He is currently studying in class 6 at Rajgiri Doha School, Qatar. He has got a gift by birth in keyboard, drawing art and dance. Right now he has focused his attention on Karate and Chess. He also writes poetry in English and Hindi. At home, he also helps his mother in the domestic work in time. And also plays with his younger brother “Shaurya,4yrs old”. He has also been the anchor of the social page Share Your Talent and Creativity Kids World and also takes French classes. We are proud of such a multi talented son. ”
Coach feedback on Safal:
” Safal is always excited in class. He enjoys playing chess games more than solving puzzles. Safal has shown outstanding improvement in the last two months. He is a focused kid as well as multitalented. Now Safal can understand the chess positions clearly. His decision-making over the board has improved. overall I am happy about his improvement. ”
Few games of Safal:
https://lichess.org/EzWdAb0G/black
18. Agnijith Podora
” Agnijith is a 7-year-old and a Grade-2 student of NDPS Sharjah. He is a curious and energetic child. He knew chess moves at the age of 4 and recently noticed improvement in his way of playing chess with Parents and Grand Parents, so we thought to give professional training to him, it worked a lot! We enrolled him in the Premier Chess Academy in October 2021. We have seen substantial improvement in the way he plays chess now. PCA gave him the platform to excel in the game. We thank his Coach Mr. Soumyajit for mentoring and motivating him to bring the best out of him. We would like to see more chess achievements by our son as he wishes to attend international tournaments representing the nation. ”
Coach feedback on Agnijith:
” Agnijith is very much interested in chess. He always wants to stay longer and play more games. He’s a multitasker. He always behaves friendly to the other students. Apart from joining theory class, he solves puzzles and plays games in her free time. Besides the positional play, his tactical understanding is also improving day by day. I’m happy with his progress. I believe he’ll play at a very high level soon. ”
Few games of Agnijith:
https://lichess.org/G3k406ET/black
https://lichess.org/NAmFRx40/black
https://lichess.org/TAW23Ltx/black
19. Ayush Singh
” Aayush is 10 years old and currently studying in Year 5 in Parkhouse School, Qatar. He started his chess journey when he was 5 years old. Initially he used to play with me (father). We came to know through one of our friends about the PCA and we thought of checking Aayush’s interest to learn professional chess. Thanks to Coach Shahid who made initial learning so easy and interesting. We never thought that Aayush would be so active in learning chess and take this game so seriously. Now, we are very much happy and proud that Aayush is spending most of his free time either playing chess or watching YouTube videos for analysis of previous games of grandmasters. We have seen tremendous improvement in his games over the last few months. We are sincerely thankful to Coach Shahid and PCA academy for such professional coaching. ”
Coach feedback on Ayush:
” Ayush is a smart and intelligent kid. He increased his rating and won against tough players in a very short duration. His dedication and hard work have helped him a lot in the improvement and if he keeps doing the same hard work he will become a very strong chess player. Ayush has huge potential to be a strong player. I wish him the best of luck for his bright future. ”
Few games of Ayush:
https://lichess.org/YW9xDm8o/white
https://lichess.org/93rPlvLc/black
20. Yoel Nino Elijah Carig
” It all started during the lockdown when Yoel didn’t have any extracurricular activities at all. I asked him if he wanted to do the free trial & was hesitant at first. Right after the trial he told me that he wants to enroll because he found it so interesting. Now he enjoys playing chess a lot. I thought it’s too late for him to be enrolled because he is already 12 but seeing him learning a lot of tricks & strategies & at the same time enjoying it made me realize that it’s never too late for anything as long as there is enthusiasm & willingness. We would like to thank his coach Ruturaj for being a great coach & imparting a lot of knowledge to Yoel. Kudos to PCA. ”
Coach feedback on Yoel:
” Yoel is consistent in his game improvement and hence he is showing consistent improvement in the game. He’s always keen to know his mistakes and tries not to repeat them in the next game. He is calm and attentive in class. Yoel is one of the calm kids in the batch; he is very good at grasping concepts and implementing them in practice session games. I wish him good luck with his Chess Career & Big Thanks to his parents, who always support him every time. ”
Few games of Yoel:
https://lichess.org/XbGSOhXl/white#0
https://lichess.org/oHMBKvJh/black#0
https://lichess.org/WDJvbafh/white#0
21. Sri Sai Druthi Upputuri
” DRUTHI is an enthusiastic girl and always engages herself in something. She loves to do challenging things, though a bit a naughty kid. She has shown interest in playing Chess during the lockdown period, so we thought of giving her proper coaching. Thanks to PCA and especially her coach Mr. Utkarsh, she improved her game very well. She never felt bored, even though she is attending digital classes throughout the day. ”
Coach feedback on Druthi:
” Dhruti is a bright Student. Her passion for chess is very authentic. She is always very attentive in class and ready to give her answers. She is always very passionate to win the game and strives to be better at every step of her Chess journey. All her efforts are very much appreciable! Her love for chess and hard work will surely take her to great heights. All the Best Dhruti. ”
Few games of Druthi:
https://lichess.org/GERmbPhQ#0
https://lichess.org/6GoZcX1G/black
https://lichess.org/MTiAoRXh/black
22. Kanthee Paras Gandhi
” Kanthee is 8 years of age and a Grade 3 student of Indian school Muscat. She is a smart, hardworking, enthusiastic girl and always excels in her studies. She developed an interest in Chess while watching her father play. She was keen on learning the game and that’s when we enrolled her with PCA. Blessed with excellent guidance and support from her coach Mr.Tushar sir, she quickly settled in and learned the basics in a short time. We are very happy with the progress she has made in a few months. Recently she stood 5th in-school tournament which was played between various Indian schools of the entire gulf region(65 participants). We are thankful to the Coach for constantly challenging and motivating her. ”
Coach feedback on Kanthee:
” Kanthee is an enthusiastic, confident, and schooled kid. She always shows great interest in chess from the beginning. Her attitude and involvement in chess at this age are admirable. She is always ready to play, solve, learn and constantly respond in class. She has been improved so much from day 1 and I like her speed of solving the puzzles and doing an assignment. I am pleased to have a kid like Kanthee in my class and wish her all happiness and success in life, Good Luck! ”
Few games of Kanthee:
https://lichess.org/7LQIJkYj/black
https://lichess.org/1GSDUDm2/black
Selection Criteria – January 2022:
- Regular in class and practice sessions.
- Displaying improvement in practices to reach top 3 positions.
- Puzzle solving and tactics findings in regular class.
- Generate quest in chess and regular in assignments.
- Over all – Passion is evident in class, practices, puzzle solving etc.
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