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How a video led to Annanya Chinta receiving a laptop through the S. Krishnan Scholarship

by Rasika Ratnaparkhi - 12/05/2026

11-year-old Annanya Chinda from Andhra Pradesh has received the S. Krishnan Scholarship, instituted by Kartik Krishnan under the HelpChess Foundation. Kartik first noticed Annanya while watching a video from the Under-11 National Championship in Jalgaon, where she was competing in the Open category. He was impressed by her fearless approach, he later got to know more about her journey. That eventually led him to support her through this scholarship. Read on to know how it all happened.

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Giving talent a chance

Since its inception, the HelpChess Foundation has worked with one simple goal in mind: to ensure that talented Indian chess players do not stop pursuing their dreams because of financial difficulties. This initiative has supported many players across the country through scholarships, laptops, coaching support, and other forms of aid. HelpChess has become a bridge between donors who want to contribute to Indian chess and talented players who need support in their journey. Many young talents who received help from the foundation have gone on to make significant progress in their careers.

One such initiative under the HelpChess Foundation is the S. Krishnan Scholarship, instituted by Kartik Krishnan. The scholarship began in 2023, when Kartik supported Arshiya Das from Tripura with a scholarship of Rs. 50,000. Since then, Arshiya’s growth has been remarkable and she became the first Woman International Master of North East India.

Annanya Chinta: Recipient of S Krishnan Scholarship 3rd edition

Annanya Chinda at the National Under-9 Girls Championship in Pune, where she finished 6th.

This year, Kartik decided to continue the scholarship and support another promising talent, 11-year-old Annanya Chinta from Andhra Pradesh. Annanya started her chess journey in May 2023 purely as a hobby. However, after she began attending classes, her casual interest soon transformed into a serious commitment. She started spending more and more time improving her chess. Though she began participating in tournaments regularly, the limited number of rated events in Andhra Pradesh made it difficult for her to get enough competitive opportunities.

Annanya Chinta in action at the National Under-11 Championship in Jalgaon. She was playing in the Open category.

Despite this, Annanya has received huge support from her mother, her coaches Hema Chandra Mouli G and Karthik Gopal G, as well as MK Chess Academy.

Initially, Kartik planned to donate Rs. 50,000 towards the scholarship. However, during discussions with Annanya's mother regarding how the funds would be utilized, it became clear that Annanya urgently needed a laptop for her chess preparation. After discussions with Ashwin Subramanian, who has always guided us in selecting the right laptops for players, we found the ASUS Vivobook S14, worth Rs. 73,000 for Annanya. Kartik showed interest in covering the entire amount!

Receiving this support means a lot to us. We never expected this, and getting recognition from Sagar Shah and ChessBase India is very motivating. It gives us confidence that Annanya is on the right path.

- Kalyani, Annanya's mother shared.

Annanya with the laptop provided through the S. Krishnan Scholarship.

Let us take a look at some of Annanya’s notable games:

For Kartik, the scholarship is about ensuring that deserving talents get the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Speaking about what motivates him to continue the scholarship every year, Kartik said:

When I first contributed to HelpChess Foundation in 2023, the narrative in my head was that I would love to make it a continuous thing if everything goes well and life allows me to. I am happy to be in the position to keep the scholarship running and I hope to continue this next year as well.

Kartik first noticed Annanya nearly eight months ago while watching a vlog made by one of our team members, Tushar, who had gone to cover the Under-11 National Championship in Jalgaon. One thing that immediately stood out to Kartik was the fact that Annanya was competing in the Open section. “I found that really nice and really brave,” Kartik admired.

Why did these Girls refused to play in the Girls’ Section? | Video: ChessBase india

He was also deeply moved by the fact that Annanya’s mother is a single parent, trying to support her daughter’s chess journey while also taking care of the family. Kartik felt that the scholarship started in his father’s name should go to someone like Annanya and help her continue pursuing her dreams.

In the short term, Annanya hopes to reach the 1700–1800 rating mark, while her long-term dream is to become a titled player and establish herself as a strong chess player. Her story shows why the HelpChess Foundation matters so much. We hope this support helps Annanya take another important step forward in her chess journey and brings her closer to achieving her dreams.

Want to contribute?

If you would like to support Indian chess players, please contribute via the HelpChess website. If you would like to institute a scholarship or sponsor an amount, please do write to us at chessbaseindia@gmail.com to discuss the details of the same. HelpChess is an 80G registered Charitable Trust. Here are some details so that you can be sure that you are putting in your money in the right place:

PAN number: AACTH4426K

12A Registration - AACTH4426KE20215 dated 23/09/2021

80G No - AACTH4426KF20213

CSR No. CSR00016763

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