At 19, S. Rohith Krishna carries two identities. By day, he is an engineering student wrestling with algorithms and coding assignments. By night, he is a chess warrior facing international masters across digital boards and distant hotel halls. Last week in Kazakhstan, he stitched those two worlds together, becoming India’s 89th Grandmaster.
A Childhood Spark That Grew Into a Calling
The game first entered his life casually — taught by his grandmother and cousin when he was eight. Soon, chess programs on a family computer became his playground. Under the mentorship of FM Visweswaran Kameswaran in Chennai, that spark matured into a disciplined pursuit of mastery.
Family Sacrifices, Sleepless Nights
Behind the young prodigy’s rise stands a household of quiet sacrifice. His mother, Vidhya, a veterinarian, remembers staying awake night after night, watching his international games online and offering encouragement across time zones. “There were many sleepless nights,” she recalls. Family vacations gave way to tournament schedules; birthdays were often celebrated in transit lounges.
Juggling Exams and Endgames
At Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Rohith’s classmates know him as the student who sometimes vanishes for weeks, only to return with stories of European or Central Asian tournaments. “Sometimes I miss college for tournaments, sometimes I miss tournaments for exams,” he admits. For him, the mental problem-solving of coding mirrors the strategic puzzles of the 64 squares.
A Title Earned on Foreign Soil
The decisive moment came at the Almaty Region Open Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan. Rohith scored an unbeaten 6/9, clinching his final Grandmaster norm with a victory in the last round. The achievement adds his name to India’s expanding roster of young talents who are reshaping global chess.
Looking Ahead
Grandmaster is not a destination but a milestone. Rohith now dreams of breaking the 2600 Elo barrier and, someday, competing at the highest levels of world chess. For him, the equation is simple: solve problems, whether in code or on the board — and keep moving forward.