Velammal MHS School clinches Gold at 2025 World Schools Team Chess Championship

India’s chess supremacy gained another sparkling chapter as Velammal MHS School from Chennai captured the gold medal at the 2025 World Schools Team Chess Championship in Alexandria, Virginia, going undefeated across all eight rounds of the prestigious event.

The school, already known as a cradle of Indian chess talent, has produced several international stars, including reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, R Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali Rameshbabu, and Leon Luke Mendonca.

Such was Velammal's dominance that the team had already sealed the top spot before the final round began. Led by International Master (IM) Ilamparthi A, who won 7 out of 8 games and drew one, the team’s consistency stood out in a highly competitive field.

The final lineup for Velammal included WFM Keerti Shree Reddy (Rating: 1910), IM Aswath S (2369), FM Daakshin Arun (2021), IM Ilamparthi A (2358), and FM Pranav KP (2090).

Keerti, who started as board 1, featured in the first three rounds. From round 4 onwards, Ilamparthi led the charge on board 1, becoming the standout performer of the tournament for India. IM Aswath S played all eight rounds, recording three draws and one loss.

Kazakhstan’s National School of Physics and Mathematics took silver, edging out The Harker School (USA) on a tiebreak. The American team settled for bronze, just ahead of Astana 2 RSPM, who finished fourth.