The year’s first major chess tournament in the classical format – Tata Steel Masters – takes place in Wijk Aan Zee in the Netherlands from January 17 to February 1. The 14-player, elite event is known as the Wimbledon of Chess.
Of the Indian participants, most eyes will be on D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and defending champion R Praggnanandhaa. They are the movers and shakers. There is a fourth in Aravindh Chithambaram, whose performance will be followed for different reasons.
At 26, he is four-five years older than the trio. In the last 18 months, his journey has been eventful in its own way. He has seen a meteoric rise and downward curve from close quarters. From nowhere to world No. 11 last June on the back of some outstanding performances and two titles, Aravindh is currently ranked 32nd after some indifferent outings.
Ranked 44th in June 2024, this player from Madurai living in Chennai made a rapid rise. His aggression and urge to win at any cost took the world by surprise. From the stable of RB Ramesh, which has also produced Praggnanandhaa and his sister R Vaishali, Aravindh won competitions in Prague and Armenia. It propelled him forward in the rankings and he came close to making it four Indians in the top-10.
The downslide started at the UzChess Cup in Tashkent. His close friend Praggnanandhaa won the title and Aravindh finished bottom of the field of 10 with 2.5 points, without a single win. After a second-place finish at the Biel Chess Festival, he went to the FIDE World Cup in Goa and lost in the first round. He didn’t do much of note at the World Rapid and Blitz in Doha and started 2026 by finishing last in both segments at the Tata Steel Chess India rapid and blitz event in Kolkata.
The encouraging part is that Aravindh is ranked 31st in the world. It’s well below what he had reached, but respectable. His rating has come down to 2700 from a best of 2749. It might still be adequate enough to get him invites from strong tournaments. Wijk Aan Zee – where he is 11th in field of 14 in terms of ratings – is an acid test as well as a springboard for the player who many think belongs to that level.
Speaking about this ward of his last year, coach Ramesh didn’t sound too perturbed. “It’s generally like, for anyone who wants to be successful, they should have a mixture of both – good and bad results,” said Ramesh, on whose advice Aravindh had shifted from Madurai to Chennai. “And that’s when they’ll complement each other. I don’t worry too much about bad performances.”
A short bio on the official website of Tata Steel Masters 2026 describes him as a player with a “dynamic, tactical approach” known for “resilient play”. Appreciating his “creative and competitive playing style”, it concludes that Aravindh “brings depth and unpredictability to the field in one of chess’s most prestigious events.”
This unpredictable element perhaps defines the player from a humble background who became a Grandmaster at 15. One characteristic of the Indian wave to have hit world chess is the never-say-die attitude of the younger crop. They are willing to lose and unwilling to not win. Aravindh is one who likes the adventurous route, where risks and returns are high. Wijk Aan Zee might indicate which way he is headed.
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