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'Historic Moment For Indian Chess' As Aravindh, Nihal Are Picked Up By S8UL
Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram have been picked up by Indian esports organization S8UL. Photo: S8UL Esports

'Historic Moment For Indian Chess' As Aravindh, Nihal Are Picked Up By S8UL

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TarjeiJS
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| 13 | Chess Event Coverage

India's most prominent esports organization has entered the chess esports scene with the double signing of GMs Aravindh Chithambaram and Nihal Sarin, two of the nation's biggest stars. The grandmasters will now represent S8UL as they try to qualify for the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC).

The signing spree ahead of the $1.5 million event, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 29 to August 1, continues with the two rising stars joining India's leading esports organization.

Signing the two grandmasters, ranked 11th and 36th in the world, is a significant deal for S8UL. It was announced late on Sunday, just days after Team Spirit picked up GMs Daniil Dubov and Vladislav Artemiev.  

Hailing from Chennai, the home city of five-time world champion GM Viswanathan Anand, Aravindh is a part of a golden generation of players shaped by the city's chess culture. Alongside him from Chennai are many of today's young stars, such as GM Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning world champion, and grandmaster siblings Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Vaisahali Rameshbabu.

Trained by their star coach, GM Ramesh R. B., he first made headlines when, as a 14-year-old, he sensationally won the 2013 Chennai Open, which was held in celebration of the 2013 FIDE World Championship Match.

The 25-year-old has had a tremendous last six months, first scoring a victory in the 2024 Chennai Grandmasters, and then winning the 2025 Prague Chess Festival Masters in March. After gaining an astonishing 87 rating points in a year, Aravindh is ranked 11th in the world on FIDE's latest rating list for April, with a 2749 classical rating.

"This moment is special not just for me personally, but for Indian chess as a whole," said Aravindh. "S8UL's entry into chess represents the growing recognition of our sport in the digital competitive space. I'm thrilled to represent India at the EWC and be part of this new chapter."

This moment is special not just for me personally, but for Indian chess as a whole.

—Aravindh Chithambaram

Aravindh, here during the World Rapid & Blitz Championship in December, has signed for S8UL. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com
Aravindh, here during the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Championship in December, has signed for S8UL. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

20-year-old Nihal has been considered one of the brightest young talents in the chess world for a decade, achieving the grandmaster title at the age of 14 in 2018. He has repeatedly proved to be among the world's best online players, occasionally topping the leaderboard in Bullet on Chess.com.

While he has struggled to break into the world's elite over-the-board, he has shown excellent results recently. In November, he won the 3rd President Cup in Uzbekistan, followed by an unbeaten run to win at the Tashkent Open in the same country last month.

He is now up to 36th in the world with a 2694 rating, which means he is set to improve on his peak from March 2024, where he was ranked 38th.

Nihal Sarin, pictured during the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com
Nihal Sarin, pictured during the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

"Being part of the Esports World Cup is a new and exciting experience," Nihal shared. "It's amazing to see chess being embraced in the esports world. Representing India and S8UL is a big honor, and I hope to help inspire a new generation of players."

It’s amazing to see chess being embraced in the esports world.

—Nihal Sarin

The grandmaster also shared the announcement on his X/Twitter account.

The signing also means India now has three top players under the banner of major esports organizations. GM Arjun Erigaisi, currently ranked world number-four, signed with Gen.G in February. 

S8UL is the first Indian organization to step into the competitive chess esports arena. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Mumbai, they intend to expand their reach into new genres of esports.

"We are incredibly proud to be the first Indian team to step into global esports chess," said Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL, who called it a historic moment for Indian chess. "Nihal and Aravindh are not just two of India's best, but among the top minds in the world. Their addition reflects our commitment to representing India in every genre of competitive gaming, and our belief that esports is about excellence, whether it's aim or intellect."

Nihal and Aravindh are not just two of India’s best, but among the top minds in the world.

—Animesh Agarwal, S8UL

Aravindh and Nihal now aim to qualify for Saudi Arabia through the Champions Chess Tour, with its second leg taking place on Chess.com on May 18-23. The 12 highest-ranked players by Tour Points will go straight to Riyadh, while four players will be decided through a Last Chance Qualifier, details of which are yet to be announced.

As it stands, Aravindh is tied for 17th on the Tour leaderboard with five points, while Nihal is tied for 24th with three points—both in striking distance of qualification with the crucial May event still to come.

With Aravindh and Nihal now joining the fold, the total number of grandmasters signed by esports organizations has reached 19.

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