Test your skills with positions from the Chola Chess camp: 2nd Edition

by Rasika Ratnaparkhi - 16/05/2026

Chola Chess is building a dedicated space for India's strong chess players to train and improve. It is led by R. B. Ramesh and Aarthie Ramaswamy, and supported by a committed team. With consistent camps and serious training, it has already impacted over 1300 players across the country. In this second edition of the series, we bring you another set of instructive positions discussed during a Chola Chess camp. Take your time, calculate deeply, and see how many you can solve.

Space where strong players get stronger

Chola Chess is one of India’s most ambitious and structured training initiatives. It was launched in July 2025 with a goal to identify and nurture India’s promising chess talents. On 1st April 2026, they conducted their 100th chess camp. Behind this initiative are four driven individuals: GM R.B. Ramesh, WGM Aarthie Ramaswamy (who leads Chess Gurukul), along with Kanika Subbiah and Vellayan Subbiah from Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited. Together, they have built a program that has trained over 1300 players so far.

How these 4 individuals came together to launch the Chola Chess initiative. | Video: ChessBase India

The program provides high-quality training to selected players at no cost. This approach plays a significant role in widening the base of competitive chess in India. Some of India's most familiar names like Tania Sachdev, Soumya Swaminathan, Adhiban Baskaran and many more, have been part of Chola Chess camps. You can read more about it in this article.

Polish GM Michal Krasenkow is one of the most respected trainers in chess. He is known for his deep positional understanding and has worked extensively as a coach and author. His involvement in these camps gives players an opportunity to learn from one of the finest strategic minds in the game. | Photo: Chola Chess

Debashis Das is India’s 34th Grandmaster and one of the country’s most experienced chess professionals. Alongside his playing career, he has made significant contributions as a trainer and mentor in the development of many chess players over the years. | Photo: Chola Chess

Sundarrajan Kidambi, India’s 19th Grandmaster, is widely respected for his encyclopaedic knowledge of chess classics and deep understanding of the game. He is also closely associated with Chola Chess. | Photo: Chola Chess

So what do they actually study? Below are positions from the Chola Chess training camp. See if you can solve these positions. Solutions to these positions are provided at the end of the article. You can check out the first edition of this series here.