Your chance to learn from GM Harshit Raja at his 12-hour Masterclass in Mumbai
If you are feeling stuck in your chess journey and not improving the way you hoped, we have something exciting for you! GM Harshit Raja is coming to Mumbai for an intense and inspiring 12-hour Masterclass. This is specially designed to help serious chess players break through plateaus. The camp will be held on 25th and 26th May 2025 at the Mumbai Chess Centre. This two-day camp will focus on opening preparation, middlegame motifs, calculation, decision-making under time pressure, blindfold training, and more! This is a great opportunity for you to learn from one of India’s strongest Grandmasters. Only 7 spots are left, so don’t miss out on this chance! Read the full article to learn more details and how you can register.
How to 'seriously' think like a Grandmaster?
Recently, I had the chance to attend The Big Chess Summer Camp at the Phoenix ChessBase India Chess Club in Mumbai. If you haven't heard of it yet, the camp is all about learning chess at your own pace. I spent my time there solving a few activity sheets and playing some matches. Some puzzles pushed me to think a little deeper. But instead of finding the solution, I found myself wondering - How do Grandmasters see these tactics in mere seconds? How do they break down complex positions? How do they prepare their openings?
I am sure I am not the only one who has had these questions. And actually, you can find the answers to these questions straight from one of India’s strongest Grandmasters. GM Harshit Raja is coming to Mumbai to host a 12-hour Masterclass for chess players who are looking to improve their game.
About GM Harshit Raja
Harshit became India’s 69th Grandmaster in 2021. He has represented India in multiple international tournaments and has consistently performed at a high level across formats. Some of his notable achievements include a silver medal at the U-13 Nationals in Jamshedpur, a gold medal at the SGFI Nationals in Tamil Nadu, and the prestigious Shiv Chhatrapati Award from the Government of Maharashtra in 2019. If you have watched the ChessBase India livestreams, you might have seen Harshit commentating with Sagar Shah. He is always smiling, always insightful, and makes chess learning seriously fun! He is a calm yet fierce player. So getting a chance to learn from someone like him is not something you want to miss!
This camp will be held at the Mumbai Chess Centre on 25th and 26th May 2025. Many chess players often find themselves stuck at the same level for a while. They find it hard to break that zone and go beyond. You might be solving tactics, watching games, and even playing matches regularly, but without proper guidance, it’s easy to plateau. That’s why this camp will help those players who are serious about improving but just need the right push in the right direction.
This two-day camp will focus on Opening Preparation and Middlegame Motifs. These are the kind of topics that can truly elevate your game. You will learn not to just memorize lines, but grasp the ideas behind them. As for the middlegame, that’s where most games are won or lost.
Day 1 will start with the fundamentals of calculation. You will study some games to develop your ability to calculate variations and craft creative opening ideas. You will also study isolated pawn endgames. Such positions regularly appear on the board, and many players get confused because they don’t know how to convert them into a win. And yes, there will be homework! Otherwise, how will you improve?
Day 1 |
|---|
Calculation basics |
Developing Opening Ideas and Calculation training (through a game study) |
Isolated Pawn Endgames |
Day 2 will begin with a discussion and review of the homework. You will get a chance to see what you did right, what could be better, and most importantly, why. Then, you will work on one of the trickiest parts of tournament play: making quick, logical decisions under time pressure. You might know a brilliant tactic, but imagine before you implement it… the clock beats you… frustrating, right? That’s why this session is designed to help you think fast without panicking. You will also develop some opening ideas that can throw your opponents off balance! (Dream of every chess player). Harshit will also help you to study piece exchanges. Decisions like when to trade and when to hold shape the middlegame and endgame plans. This is even more exciting if you do it blindfolded. Visualizing without a chessboard is tough, but you have to master it if your aim is to become a stronger player. That’s how you train your brain like a Grandmaster! Finally, the camp will wrap up with a Q&A session. Harshit will be there to share what he has learnt from years of top-level play, and more importantly, to help you grow.
Day 2 |
|---|
Homework review and discussion |
Making quick, logical moves and time management in a game |
Developing opening ideas to surprise your opponent |
Game studies on piece exchanges with blindfold analysis to build deep visualization |
QnA |
Daily schedule:
Timings of the camp will be 11 AM to 6 PM on 25th May and 10 AM to 5 PM on 26th May.
Session 1: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (on 25th) and 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (on 26th May)
Lunch Break: 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Session 2: 1:30 PM – 6:00 PM (on 25th) and 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM (on 26th)
Masterclass details:
Dates: 25th & 26th May
Time: 10 AM to 5 PM
Fee: Rs. 6000 per player (non-negotiable, non-refundable, non-transferable)
Venue: Mumbai Chess Centre, Russian House, Peddar Road, Behind Cumballa Hill Post Office Bus Stop, 31-A, Dr. G. Deshmukh Marg, Mumbai - 400026.
Note: Minimum 20 registrations required to conduct the camp.
If you have ever thought that you just need the right kind of training to take the next step, then this is that kind of training. But don’t wait too long, as spots are filling fast. Only 7 spots left! You need to fill out this form to register for the camp.