AICF launches quarterly stipend scheme to support young chess players

by Rasika Ratnaparkhi - 03/07/2025

The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has launched the Top National Players Stipend Scheme (TNPSS), an initiative to provide financial support to India's young chess talents. Under this scheme, the players will receive a quarterly stipend of Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 1,50,000 (depending on the age group). The aim is to ease the financial burden on families and help young players focus fully on their game. The first set of beneficiaries has already received their stipends. Check out the article to know who these players are and what they had to say about this scheme.

AICF's timely push for young talents

The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has taken a major step for Indian Chess. They have launched an initiative called the Top National Players Stipend Scheme (TNPSS). As the name suggests, this scheme is to provide financial support to India's talented young chess players. With this, our talents can chase their dreams without worrying about money.

As mentioned by AICF President Nitin Narang, this was a dream project to nurture the chess prodigies who bring glory to the country. The first beneficiaries of this project were 42 players across various age categories from Under 7 to Under 19. These are the players who performed exceptionally well at the national level last year and have great potential for the future.

Nitin Narang, the President of the All India Chess Federation.

This is more than just a scheme. It shows how deeply we believe in the promise of every young chess player in Bharat. For the first time in our history, we are directly investing in the future of our 'golden girls and boys', providing them with the sustained financial bedrock they need to transform their talent into triumph. This is more than a token; it's a demonstration of our profound support and a catalyst for their dreams.", said Nitin Narang, AICF President.

For many families, managing the costs of travel, tournaments, and coaching is like walking a tightrope. That's where this scheme will help them to ease that pressure. The stipend will range from Rs. 60,000 (for Under 7) to Rs. 1,50,000 (for Under 19) per quarter. This financial support will go a long way in helping players cover their essential expenses. The first round of payments, a total of Rs. 42.3 lakhs for the April to June quarter, has already reached the selected players.

For too long, financial constraints have cast a shadow over the aspirations of our chess players. The demands of travel, training, and international competition often forces players to abandon their passion which is a profound loss for our nation. TNPSS is our definitive answer to these challenges, a bold stride towards a player-centric policy that empowers our youth to focus solely on honing their skills and conquering the chessboard. - Narang added.

Another important reason behind this scheme is to increase the value of national tournaments. Considering these benefits, more players will hopefully get motivated to participate and do well at national tournaments. This scheme will continue for two years, and it has a huge budget of Rs. 6,15,60,000.

Here is a list of the first 42 players selected under this scheme:

Age group	Player	Category
Under 7	Devanarayanan Kalliyath	Open
Under 7	Prayank Gaonkar	Open
Under 7	Aaradhyo Guin	Open
Under 7	Aaranya R	Girls
Under 7	Arpitangshi Bhattacharya	Girls
Under 7	Saiaastha Singh	Girls
Under 9	Nidhish Shyamal	Open
Under 9	Aarit Kapil	Open
Under 9	Divith Reddy Adulla	Open
Under 9	Kiyanna Parihaar	Girls
Under 9	Divi Bijesh	Girls
Under 9	Vanshika Rawat	Girls
Under 11	Madhvendra Pratap Sharma	Open
Under 11	Advik Amit Agrawal	Open
Under 11	Aarav A	Open
Under 11	Pratitee Bordoloi	Girls
Under 11	Aadya Gowda	Girls
Under 11	Divi Bijesh	Girls
Under 13	Reyan Md	Open
Under 13	Sherla Prathamesh	Open
Under 13	Pranav Sai Ram R S	Open
Under 13	Saranya Devi Narahari	Girls
Under 13	Nivedita V C	Girls
Under 13	Nihira Koul	Girls
Under 15	Ilamparthi A R	Open
Under 15	Vaz Ethan	Open
Under 15	Sherla Prathamesh	Open
Under 15	Prishita Gupta	Girls
Under 15	Jain Ashita	Girls
Under 15	Saparya Ghosh	Girls
Under 17	Sriram Adarsh Uppala	Open
Under 17	Arpith S Bijoy	Open
Under 17	Jaiveer Mahendru	Open
Under 17	Tejaswini G	Girls
Under 17	Kirthika B	Girls
Under 17	Anupam M Sreekumar	Girls
Under 19	Adireddy Arjun	Open
Under 19	Sourath Biswas	Open
Under 19	Jaiveer Mahendru	Open
Under 19	Mrittika Mallick	Girls
Under 19	Velpula Sarayu	Girls
Under 19	Sneha Halder	Girls

Some of the selected players shared their thoughts on being part of the scheme. Here is what they had to say:

1. Kiyanna Parihaar

The 37th National U-9 Girls Champion - Kiyanna Parihaar. | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Kiyanna would like to extend her heartfelt thanks to the All India Chess Federation for this wonderful initiative," said her family. "This stipend is not just financial support, but also a motivation for Kiyanna and her parent to work even harder and strive for excellence in chess. We are grateful for the AICF's commitment to nurturing young talent in India. - Kiyanna's parents.

2. Sarayu Velpula

Runner‑up at National Junior Girls 2024 - Sarayu Velpula| Photo: Vivek Sohani

Aicf has taken a good initiative by giving 1.5 lakh to the players, this is very useful for achieving my goals ,I will be very greatful for aicf.

3. Tejaswini G

34th National Under-17 Girls Chess Championship - Tejaswini G. | Photo: Niklesh Jain

I was really overwhelmed when I got the news from AICF, as it is a huge amount, and I felt really motivated and happy. It is really helpful for our training and tournament expenses. It's a great initiative by AICF which helps many players like me to reach the next level, and I'm really thankful for it.

4. Jaiveer Mahendru

Bronze medalist at the 53rd National Junior Open Chess Championship 2024 - Jaiveer Mahendru. | Photo: Official site

For someone who has always hesitated in coaching due to high fees, this is a dream come true. I want to profusely thank the sponsors for such a great initiative!

5. Ilamparthi

National Sub-Junior Open Chess Champion - Ilamparthi. | Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

I would like to thank the AICF for this great initiative. Recognising and encouraging players through such initiatives, while they invest a lot of time and effort, can really boost morale, performance and commitment. It also helps to reduce some financial pressure on parents.

6. Ethan Vaz

Youngest International Master in India who won a silver medal at the National Sub‑Junior (U‑15) Championship 2024 - Ethan Vaz | Photo: Vivek Sohani

We feel very fortunate to receive such amazing support for Ethan. We are extremely grateful to AICF, and especially to the President, Nitin Narang sir, whose visionary leadership in spearheading the blueprint, and unwavering commitment to making it a reality, has led to this historic moment. Such support from AICF for young performers will surely be a game changer for Indian chess. We feel truly blessed! - Ethan's parents

7. Divith Reddy Adulla

Under‑8 World Cadet Champion (2024) - Divith Reddy Adulla. | Photo: Marvel Chess Academy

This is a great initiative by AICF encouraging young talent. This is the first such financial support a player gets without having to go in search of sponsors, essentially reducing the burden on parent spending on chess training and attending tournaments. This is also a token of recognition for the hard work kids are putting in. - Mahesh, Divith's father.

Mahesh further added:

"Chess as a sport ecosystem lacks appreciation of the game, which could grab and tie the attention of viewers. For example, in cricket, when a batsman hits a four or a six, everyone understands it and appreciates the skill of hitting it. If a bowler takes a wicket, the beauty of the bowling is appreciated. This keeps the viewers stick to the match. The brilliance in the game of chess, 'appreciating a move, appreciating a position, appreciating an initiative, appreciating a tactic, appreciating a positional maneuver' does not get the same level of viewer attention. This requires eduction of the game at an academic level, so that that level of understanding is imparted to everyone to understand and appreciate the game. Monetizing chess education at the academic level could help. Efforts in this direction could help much more to the good of the game."

Here is what some of the top players had to say about this scheme:

As President Narang said, “Bharat has not merely risen; we are now a chess superpower.”