Upstep Academy Focuses On Structured Training Pathways To Develop India's Next Generation Of Chess Athletes

As competitive chess continues to grow across India and globally, Mumbai-based Upstep Academy is advocating a structured, long-term approach to player development, treating young chess players as "chess athletes" through a training model that combines technical preparation, tournament planning, psychological conditioning and parental involvement. The academy believes that modern chess demands much more than learning openings and tactics, requiring players to build mental resilience, consistency and decision-making skills to perform under pressure in competitive environments.

"Today's young chess players require structured training similar to athletes in other sports. Success is built not only through technical knowledge but also through disciplined preparation, tournament exposure, game analysis, recovery and the ability to perform under pressure," a spokesperson from Upstep Academy said.

Founded in Mumbai as a global online chess academy, Upstep Academy has developed training programmes for players across different stages, from beginners learning the fundamentals of the game to advanced competitors preparing for national and international tournaments. The academy's coaching model includes live sessions with experienced coaches, structured learning modules, regular assessments, practice assignments, game analysis and continuous feedback, while also keeping parents involved through periodic progress updates.

For too long, chess has been filed under "education" rather than sport, a cognitive activity useful for report cards and forgotten once the school term ends. That framing no longer fits. Anyone who has watched a ten-year-old sit through a five-hour game in a national championship, calculating under a ticking clock, knows this is a competitive sport with real physical and mental demands.

Remove the chessboard and the parallels to conventional sport hold up well. A footballer reviews match footage with a coach. A chess player reviews games with an engine and a mentor, looking for the moment their calculation broke down. A swimmer follows interval sets and recovery weeks. A chess player follows tactics drills, opening preparation, endgame study, and rest periods before a tournament so they arrive with a clear head. A cricket player works with a sports psychologist to handle pressure in a close game. A chess player needs the same support to handle a must-win position in the final round, where one mistake can undo months of preparation.

This is the part most often left out of chess coverage, psychological conditioning. Chess teaches you to think clearly under pressure, a skill worth more than any opening because there is nowhere to hide. No teammate to cover for a mistake, no crowd to distract from it, just silence, a clock, and the consequences of a single miscalculation. Building a chess athlete means building composure alongside calculation.

Among them is 13-year-old Australian Candidate Master Kiet Nguyen, who improved his FIDE classical rating from 1655 to 1965 within eight months, including a gain of 258 rating points over a four-month period through consistent tournament participation and guided preparation.

India's Shreyanshi Jain has also delivered notable international performances, winning a gold medal at the FIDE World Cadets Blitz Solving Championship and a silver medal at the FIDE World Cup Solving & Youth Chess Championship.

Another emerging talent associated with the academy is nine-year-old Indo-Australian Reyaansh Chakrabarty, a FIDE Master with a FIDE rating of 2346. He is among the youngest players to have defeated a Grandmaster and has also won the Australian Under-16 National Championship while competing against older opponents.

These are individual stories, but they point to a larger structural need. What young chess players often lack isn't ambition or ability, it's a structured system that grows with them, addressing not just strategy, but mindset, consistency, and confidence along the way. According to the academy, these achievements underline the growing importance of structured coaching ecosystems that combine technical instruction with long-term athlete development.

With India continuing to produce world-class chess talent and interest in the sport growing among school-going children, Upstep Academy believes that greater emphasis on systematic training, tournament exposure, psychological preparation and parental engagement can help strengthen the pathway for the next generation of chess players.

The academy added that recognising chess players as athletes and providing them with structured developmental support can play an important role in sustaining India's rise as a global chess powerhouse.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)

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