Childhood Friends from Kerala Found Global Chess Academy, Eight Times Eight, to Dispel Myths and Spread Joy of Chess
Childhood friends from Kerala are proving that playing chess can make you smarter, debunking the myth that only the intelligent can excel at the game. Athul Krishna S, Adesh Joshi, Arijith M, Abhijith M, Manu Manikandan, and Chandar Raju, who met at a children’s chess tournament in 2005, have come together to form Eight Times Eight (8X8), an online global chess academy based in Kochi.
Since its inception in 2021, 8X8 has trained over 3,000 students aged between five and 15 from more than 30 countries, including the US, the UK, and Canada. The idea for the academy arose during the Covid-19 pandemic when a relative approached Athul to teach her child chess as an alternative to social media addiction.
The positive feedback from parents led the friends to launch an online chess training program, which quickly gained popularity. In March 2022, the team secured ₹35 lakh in pre-seed funding and formalized their efforts, becoming a private limited company in August 2022.
Despite their diverse backgrounds in law, architecture, and mathematics, the friends are fully committed to the academy’s mission of instilling a love for chess in children. They believe that chess not only enhances cognitive skills but also promotes overall personality development.
With a team of over 45 FIDE-rated trainers, 8X8 offers group and individual classes for students of all ages and skill levels. Many of their students have achieved notable success in tournaments, showcasing the effectiveness of their training methods.
The academy emphasizes continuous learning, with courses tailored to each student’s pace and goals. They also offer individual classes for adults, highlighting the benefits of chess for lifelong cognitive development.
As India continues to produce top chess players on the international stage, 8X8 is playing a crucial role in nurturing the next generation of talent. Through their innovative approach to teaching chess, these childhood friends are not only changing perceptions about the game but also shaping the minds of young learners worldwide.