9 young talents receive laptops through the ChessBase India YouTube Members Program 2024-25

Bridging the tech gap for chess players

A laptop is no longer a luxury for a young chess player. It has become the center of their daily routine. They need it to analyse games, attend online classes, and prepare for tournaments. Almost every part of chess training depends on it. The tools they rely on: engines, databases, cloud services and online platforms, are heavy and they need powerful hardware to run smoothly. But not every player has access to such a device. Many come from backgrounds where buying a high-performance laptop is simply not possible. This is the gap the ChessBase India YouTube Memberships Laptop initiative aims to bridge.

When you visit the ChessBase India YouTube channel, you will see a “Join” button.

By selecting a suitable plan, you can become a member. With this, every member who joins our YouTube channel becomes part of a meaningful movement. Their contribution may seem small on its own, but when combined with thousands of others, it creates a real impact. It transforms into opportunities. It transforms into tools.

How the initiative began

The idea for this initiative grew from the YouTube memberships ChessBase India launched during the Super Juniors Cup in 2020. Every contribution was used to support young Indian talents. Month after month, the funds helped players like Savitha Shri, Sarayu Velpula, Pranesh, Ilamparthi and many others, many of whom eventually became IMs, GMs or top juniors of the country.

Around the same time, the HelpChess Foundation also became active and began supporting players through donations. But the YouTube membership funds kept accumulating. At one point, Amruta and Sagar wondered if they should discontinue the memberships and instead direct supporters to HelpChess, since YouTube deducted a significant percentage. Yet memberships also had their own advantages. They were convenient, linked to the streams, and offered some perks to the members like badges and emojis. During one such discussion, Amruta proposed a simple idea, to combine two years’ worth of membership funds and use them to buy laptops for deserving young players!

Amruta's idea immediately felt right. And then, things started aligning. With the help of Ashwin Subramanian and Sudhir Baliga from Nodwin, a new Lenovo Slim 7 was arranged for the initiative. The funds from April 2022 to March 2024 were utilized to buy a laptop for 14 chess players. You can read about the players we helped in this article.

The total amount we accumulated for the second edition of this program this year was Rs 8,53,622.7. These funds were collected from April 2024 to March 2025. You can find the full list of contributing members and the amount in this article.

Specifications of the laptop:

We also make a choice of what laptop to offer with the help of our good friend Ashwin Subramanian. He is someone who has helped many top players with their tech requirements in chess and understands the usage of engines, software and resources very well. It was he who suggested we go for this laptop for the ChessBase India YouTube Members Laptop program.

This year’s announcement drew an overwhelming response from chess players. More than 160 players applied! Going through these applications was both inspiring and difficult because every child deserved an opportunity. We could not accommodate everyone, but with the continued support of our YouTube members, we are optimistic that many more players will be reached in the years to come! Here are the nine players selected this year, the reasons they were chosen and how they felt when their new laptops reached them.

1. Madhesh Kumar (Born in 2012, Elo 2324)

Madhesh had been using an HP laptop since 2021, but it had become slow and struggled with processing tasks needed for his training. It had battery issues, faulty ports and needed frequent repairs. Running ChessBase, analysing games and attending classes became difficult for him due to the lag and instability. He felt that a laptop with stronger processing power and better RAM would allow him to use the latest ChessBase tools smoothly.

Some notable achievements of Madhesh Kumar:

• Winner of the Aurionpro International Junior Chess Tournament in 2025

• Individual Gold at the U12 National School Team Championship in 2024

• Team Gold at the U12 National School Team Championship in 2024

What was your reaction when you received the Laptop?

Super excited to receive this laptop from ChessBase India! Felt like a reward for all the hard work and preparation, and a boost of confidence to keep going.

How are you going to use the Laptop for chess?

1. Enhancing my chess skills using ChessBase 18 software and preparing for upcoming tournament games

2. Attending online training sessions with Chess Gurukul and Chola Chess Project

3. Participating in Titled Tuesday and other competitive online tournaments

4. Utilizing the laptop for my academic studies and school-related work

5. Watching ChessBase videos, live chess tournaments, and staying updated with the latest chess news and videos.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

We deeply appreciate the efforts and initiatives taken by ChessBase and its network of partners and sponsors. Your continued commitment to nurturing both domestic and global chess talent is truly commendable, and we hope you will carry this mission forward with even greater impact. I am currently 13 years old with a Standard FIDE rating of 2324. My goal is to achieve the International Master (IM) title by Q1 2026 and the Grandmaster (GM) title by Q2 2027. All my FIDE rating points have been earned through domestic tournaments, and I am confident of reaching the IM milestone through continued participation, mostly in domestic tournaments and coaching from Chess Gurukul Ramesh Sir and his team. However, pursuing GM norms demands advanced training and participation in international tournaments, both of which require substantial financial investment. I sincerely hope that ChessBase, through its network of sponsors and initiatives like e4 and WACA, can help provide the support needed to turn my aspirations in chess into reality. Thank you for empowering young players like me to dream big and aim high.

2. Arshiya Das (Born in 2010, Elo 2180)

Arshiya had been using an eight-year-old Dell laptop that shut down frequently, had almost no battery life despite multiple replacements, and lagged heavily during ChessBase analysis. The screen was damaged, the laptop overheated, and its heavy build made it difficult to carry to tournaments. Since Arshiya has no access to advanced coaching locally, she relies completely on online classes and trains 7–10 hours a day on her laptop. That’s why she needed a stable, fast and portable device to support her preparation.

Some notable achievements of Arshiya Das:

• Gold at the 41st National Subjunior Girls Chess Championship in 2025

• Gold at the Commonwealth Chess Championship (U-14 Girls) in 2024

• Tripura State Senior and Senior Women Chess Championship 2021, 2022 and 2023

What was your reaction when you received the Laptop?

While Arshiya’s Mother received the Laptop, that time Arshiya was in airport towards her Chola Chess coaching at Chennai. After listening the news about the Laptop she told her father to cancel the flight, because she wanted to see her new ASUS Laptop which was very latest with many advance features for her CHESS purpose only. She was very excited & after returning from Chennai, first she opened the laptop & expressed her heart. Full thanks to CHESSBASE INDIA & Sagar Sir!

How are you going to use the Laptop for chess?

Immediatly after getting the new laptop, Arshiya transfered all her ChessBase Data to new advanced Laptop from her very old laptop. She was so excited with the features like high sound quality, screen was very soft for her eyes, Light weight, fastest RAM & many more. Now she is doing 7-8 hours practice daily with this latest laptop and also attending the online classes without any headphone as the sound quality of this laptop is very good. Also she can easily carry it because it is very light weight. She is doing lots of puzzles & playing games as this laptop has touch screen facility as well. She is very very happy with her new advanced Laptop.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

We, the parents & Arshiya would like to convey our sincere thanks to Respected Sagar sir & whole Team of Chess Base India for providing the latest & advanced Laptop to a North East girl child, whose dream is to be the FIRST WOMEN GRAND MASTER from this NE region.

3. Avirat Chauhan (Born in 2014, Elo 2070)

Avirat had been using a very old Lenovo G570, purchased in 2012, and the hardware could no longer support his chess training. Stockfish took a long time to reach even reasonable depth. The hinges were broken. Just by looking at the photo, you can understand that his laptop could stop working at any moment. He needed a powerful laptop that would help him train without any interruptions or technical worries.

Some notable achievements of Avirat Chauhan

• Winner of the 1st Uin Sports Rating Open in 2024

• Gold at the MPL 34th National U-8 Open Chess Championship in 2022

• AICF Online National U-7 Open Chess Championship in 2021

What was your reaction when you received the Laptop?

Avirat was pleasantly surprised to see the new laptop for him.

How are you going to use the Laptop for chess?

Avirat uses the engine frequently and it was very slow on the laptop that he was using. This new laptop will save a lot of his time analyzing positions with engine.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

Thank you ChessBase India.

4. Aarav A (Born in 2013, Elo 2055)

Aarav had been using a six-years-old laptop had become slow, short on storage and struggled to handle engines or ChessBase smoothly. Even the keyboard had issues, and overall the system was no longer able to support the level of training he needed. He needed stronger hardware to continue his training.

Some notable achievements of Aarav A:

• Bronze at the Asia Youth Under-12 Open Chess Championship in 2025

• Winner of the 36th Tamil Nadu State Under-11 Open Chess Championship in 2024

• Bronze at the 37th National Under-11 Open Chess Championship in 2024

What was your reaction when you received the Laptop?

I was really excited and couldn’t believe it at first! It felt like a dream come true because this is my first-ever sponsorship. Getting a brand-new laptop from ChessBase India made me feel proud and motivated to work even harder. I’m very thankful to ChessBase India for believing in me and supporting my chess journey.

How are you going to use the Laptop for chess?

I have purchased ChessBase 18, and the new laptop makes it run super fast and smooth. I’m going to use it for analyzing my games, studying opening databases, solving tactics, and preparing for tournaments. It will really help me make my training more efficient and save time when I work with engines.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

I want to thank ChessBase India team once again from bottom of my heart for this wonderful gift and for always supporting young players like me. Thank you Sagar bhai!. This sponsorship has given me a big confidence boost, and energy to keep improving. I will grow more and more in the chess world and make India proud soon!

5. Aaranya R (Born in 2017, Elo 1613)

Aaranya has been using a Lenovo laptop that she received through the Tamil Nadu government scheme in 2016. Over the years, it has slowed down a lot. It takes a long time to start, and the frequent lag makes it hard for her to work smoothly, especially when she needs to switch quickly between analysis, opening files or online practice.

Some notable achievements of Aaranya R:

• Winner of the 37th National Under-7 Girls Chess Championship in 2024

• Gold at the Western Asian Youth Under-8 Chess Championship in 2025

• Individual Bronze at the Asian Schools Championship in 2024

What was your reaction when you received the Laptop?

We were truly delighted and grateful when our daughter received the Asus ZenBook 14 laptop. It was a very special moment for her, as she had never owned a laptop or mobile device of her own before. Seeing her excitement and happiness was priceless. She immediately wanted to explore it and begin her chess studies.

How are you going to use the Laptop for chess?

She will be using the laptop mainly for her chess practice and preparation. Until now, she has used our mobile phone for playing and learning chess whenever we returned home from work, which has limited her study time. With this laptop, she can now train regularly on ChessBase, analyze her games, prepare openings, and attend online classes and tournaments more effectively. It will truly help her strengthen her chess skills and confidence.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

We sincerely thank ChessBase for this generous support and encouragement. This laptop will make a meaningful difference in her chess journey. She is very dedicated and motivated to work hard and make good progress. As parents, we deeply appreciate this opportunity and will ensure she uses it productively to grow as a chess player.

6. Soham Kamotra (Born in 2004, Elo 2400)

Soham had been using a six-year-old ASUS TUF laptop that only worked when plugged in and still ran very slow. ChessBase often froze, the system crashed with black screens and he had even lost important files after hard-disk failures. The laptop was heavy, buggy and could not handle engines or multitasking anymore. The high cost had stopped Soham from buying a new laptop, even though he knew it would improve his practice. He didn’t apply last year because his laptop was somehow working and he felt others needed it more.

Some notable achievements of Soham Kamotra:

• First International Master from Jammu & Kashmir

• Bronze at the DCA Blitz Rating Open in 2025

• Gold at the Commonwealth Youth U-18 Open Chess Championship in 2022

What was your reaction when you received the Laptop?

I was elated to see the laptop for the first time! I was waiting to start my daily practice on it very eagerly & immediately installed Chessbase and other softwares. And to no suprise it ran as smooth as butter.

How are you going to use the Laptop for chess?

I am going to use it for my tournament preparation which includes heavy opening work. I can finally work with strong engines & click on reference database without hanging the entire interface. I can also play on chess.com's Proctor which used to lag alot in my previous laptop.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

The difference between my old laptop and new laptop is clearly immense, I am saving a lot of time and energy. I'd like to thank Chessbase India & Help Chess Foundation for this opportunity. I'm truly grateful & appreciate their efforts to empower chess all across India!

7. Daaevik Wadhawan (Born in 2009, Elo 2403)

Daaevik had been using a second-hand ASUS laptop for the past eight months after his earlier one died due to a motherboard failure. It hung frequently, crashed during engine analysis and couldn’t handle Mega Database at all. The battery lasted barely an hour, the hinge was breaking and his arrow key stopped working. He needed a reliable, faster laptop to analyse games properly and prepare during events.

Some notable achievements of Daaevik Wadhawan:

• Winner of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Delhi Open Rating Chess Tournament in 2025

• Gold at the Delhi State Under-19 Open Chess Championship in 2024

• Gold at the Western Asian Youth and Junior Chess Championship in 2019.

What was your reaction when you received the Laptop?

I was absolutely thrilled when I received my ASUS ZenBook 14. The moment I unboxed it, I was super delighted. This is the most expensive laptop I have ever owned. The powerful performance, and long battery life make it perfect for my daily chess practice and analysis sessions. I’m genuinely pleased with the laptop and sincerely thankful to ChessBase India for gifting me such an excellent device that greatly enhances my chess training and overall progress.

How are you going to use the Laptop for chess?

I use the laptop mainly for analyzing games, playing online and studying openings. The new laptop gives way better performance and speed which helps in my online games but the biggest factor is probably that I get 10k nodes for Stockfish without needing to connect to a cloud engine. This allows me to run deep analysis smoothly and efficiently and without internet. This was a major problem in my past preparation because I couldn't use an engine at all without fast internet. Overall, the laptop has made my chess preparation far more productive and convenient.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

The real happiness came when I received a call from Mrs. Supriya Bhat ma’am from ChessBase India. I just couldn’t believe it at first, but when she repeated and confirmed that I had actually been selected for the new laptop, I was completely overjoyed. It was such a surreal and unforgettable moment for me — a mix of excitement, disbelief, and pure happiness. When I finally received the laptop, I was extremely delighted to see its quality and features. I felt truly grateful to ChessBase India for recognizing my efforts and giving me such an incredible opportunity.

8. Sasi Hasini Chintala (Born in 2012, Elo 1816)

She has been using a Lenovo IdeaPad 310-15ISK for the past five and a half years, but the laptop itself is almost a decade old. Its low configuration makes it extremely slow. The screen is damaged, the body has issues, and the microphone does not work, making online classes difficult. These problems have made her training challenging and she has been hoping for a better laptop for a long time.

Some notable achievements of Sasi Hasini Chintala:

• Winner of the BSCA Under-15 Chess Tournament in 2025

• Winner of Children's Champion's League Under-13 2nd Edition in 2025

• Bronze at the Telangana State Under- 15 Girls Chess Championship in 2025

What was your reaction when you received the Laptop?

I’m beyond thrilled to receive this amazing laptop from ChessBase India! This means so much to me, I have shown this to all my friends and extended family with so much excitement.

How are you going to use the Laptop for chess?

I’m deeply grateful to ChessBase India for this wonderful gift — a brand-new laptop that will significantly boost my chess preparation for the National Chess Championships, international events and future FIDE-rated events. Chessbase software on this laptop helps in accessing enormous database of games and openings which helps for complete preparation.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

Your encouragement and support mean a lot as I continue striving to improve and represent my best on the board. Thank you!

Note of Gratitude

Become a member of the ChessBase India YouTube Channel

Important links

December 2020 & April 2021 fund for Savitha Shri

May 2021 fund for Savitha and Karthik Venkata Krishna

June 2021 fund for Pranav V.

July 2021 fund for Ilamparthi

August 2021 fund for Sanjay Sivakumar

September 2021 fund for K.Marimuthu

October 2021 fund for M. Pranesh

November 2021 fund for Shreya Hipparagi

December 2021 fund for Daakshin Arun

January 2022 fund for Sarayu Velpula

February 2022 fund for Mrittika Mallick

March 2022 fund for Sharvaanica A S

ChessBase India YouTube Membership Program 2022-24