The Vision
To raise a generation of strategic thinkers — students who see three moves before everyone else, on the board and in every decision life puts in front of them.
Our Story
Kutty story, periya impact.
Sathuranga Chanakyan was built on one stubborn belief — that a child taught to think several moves ahead on the board will learn to think just as far ahead in life. This is the story of that belief, and the people turning it into an institution.
- 113K+Subscribers
- #1Tamil Chess Channel
FIDE RatedArena International Master
The Founder
Venkatesh Elumalai
Venkatesh Elumalai didn't discover chess in childhood. He found it at 19 — and within months became College Chess Champion, leading his team to back-to-back Team Championship titles in 2014 and 2015.
He spent the next several years in the corporate world with global pharma giants Abbott, Pfizer, and AbbVie. The board was always in the back of his mind.
In 2019, he made the move — launching a Tamil chess YouTube channel that became the No. 1 Tamil-language chess channel in the world. 111K subscribers. 19 million views. Students from across the globe, learning for free.
But free content has limits. Serious players need serious coaching.
So in 2021, he launched structured online classes. In 2023, a 1,500 sq-ft offline learning centre in Kolathur. And a team of coaches trained to deliver the same quality — at scale.
Today, as an Arena International Master, FIDE-rated player, and Vice President of the Kallakurichi District Chess Association, Venkatesh's role is not to be in every classroom. It is to ensure that every classroom meets the same uncompromising standard.
The curriculum he designed. The system he built. The results his team delivers.
We don't just teach chess. We teach children how to think.
Our story, move by move
- 2019
The opening move
Sathuranga Chanakyan was born — not as an academy, but as a Tamil chess YouTube channel. One camera, one coach, and a conviction that world-class chess education shouldn't need a world-class postcode.
- 2021
First class, first students
The channel had proven there was hunger. In 2021, we took the next step — our first structured online coaching class went live, turning viewers into students and lessons into real rating points.
- 2023
Boards on real tables
Online wasn't enough. We opened our first physical classroom — students sitting across real boards, coaches in the room. That same year, 50,000 subscribers told us the world was watching.
- 2024
Champions made, not promised
Our training produced its first State Champion (Illinois) and a National Champion — a Scotland National Champion, proof that our coaching translates into titles, not just theory.
- 2025
A record set
One of our students became the second-youngest rapid FIDE-rated player — a milestone that put Sathuranga Chanakyan on the competitive map for good.
- 2026
The institution today
Over 112K subscribers, 200+ active students, and a growing team of coaches. What started as one person teaching on YouTube is now an institution — and we're only getting started.
What We Stand For
The Chanakyan way
The principles behind every class, every move, and every promise we make.
Integrity
No false promises. Every student gets honest assessments and realistic pathways to improvement.
Student-First
Every decision starts with one question — “What’s best for the student?” Their progress is how we measure our own success.
Respect for People
Parents, coaches, vendors, players, students — everyone we interact with deserves dignity and respect.
Innovation
We embrace technology and new methods, always evolving to stay a step ahead.
Excellence
We don’t just participate — we win. District champions, state champions, FIDE ratings. Results matter.
Discipline
Chess teaches structure, and we embody it. Systematic training, consistent practice, measurable progress.
The Mission
We turn students into champions through Tamil culture and Chanakyan wisdom — pairing world-class coaching and proven results with genuine care for every journey, from first move to FIDE rating.
