Growing through chess.
Chess Shoots began in 2011 over countless cups of coffee in the coffee addas of Jayanagar and Basavanagudi, where a group of Bengaluru chess lovers, some with more than two decades in the state chess scene, decided Karnataka's growing chess wave needed a home. The goal was simple: teach chess well, and help every student grow, in the game and in life.
Today, Chess Shoots is one of Bengaluru's best-known chess academies, with centres in Jayanagar and Judicial Layout. Our FIDE-rated coaches teach beginners and tournament players alike, through classroom batches, one-to-one coaching, online classes, Grandmaster-led boot camps, rated tournaments and mentorship.
In over 15 years, we have coached 8,000+ students across 19 states and 15+ countries. Our students have won 220+ medals at state, national, Commonwealth, Asian and world events, and our pride includes GM Pranav Anand, IM Sathvik Adiga and Siddhi Rao.
Jayaram Ramanna was a senior designer at Volvo when he made a bold call: in 2010, he left a stable career to build a chess academy. Chess had been his lifelong passion. He grew up playing with friends who are now among Karnataka's leading coaches, saving pocket money for online games at a café and waiting months for chess books to arrive.
That love of the game became Chess Shoots. Alongside co-founder the late R. Hanumantha, Jayaram built an academy where strong fundamentals, personal attention and real tournament exposure come together.
His aim has not changed: to bring more of Karnataka's young people into chess and give them the confidence to compete anywhere.
