Vishnu Prasanna is an Indian chess grandmaster who has been coaching professionally since 2016. His individual, group and online camps have been attended by hundreds of Indian and international players, and helped cultivate some of India’s brightest young talents. First among them is of course upcoming world title challenger Gukesh D, whose ability as a young player was greatly fostered under Vishnu’s mentorship.
These days, Vishnu and his wife continue to own and operate their own chess school. Vishnu’s coaching methods emphasise consistency while also focusing on the psychological aspect of the game, thereby continuing to inspire young chess players in the city of Chennai and beyond.
Interviewed by his friend and our fresh host Jacob Aagaard, Vishnu goes in-depth on his life as a chess professional, the growth of Gukesh, and the city of Chennai.
Timestamps (Spotify)
00:00 – Intro
04:10 – Chennai as a chess city (CLIP)
05:42 – The importance of Vishy Anand for the city of Chennai
07:18 – Gukesh’s formative years (CLIP) “our personalities match”
10:40 – Vishnu’s coaching methods with Gukesh
13:15 – What was the role of the engine in their training sessions?
16:13 – AD BREAK
17:06 – What caused the split between Vishnu and Gukesh?
25:10 – Vishnu’s family life and other business ventures
29:30 – Outro