18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju created history by becoming the youngest chess world champion by defeating Ding Liren in Singapore on Thursday. As the nation rejoices at this historic achievement, it is an opportune moment to shine a light on Pune’s chess legacy, especially through the city’s trailblazing institution, the Joseph D’Souza Chess Academy.
The academy began in the 1980s, when its founder Joseph D’Souza developed an interest in the sport while in college. “After that he never looked back and went on to win other open and district level tournaments during his career. He had an Elo rating of 2201 and was also a Candidate Master,” said his wife Santhan D’Souza.
D’Souza is known as one of the best chess administrators in Pune, holding the multifaceted positions of coach, arbiter and organizer. “In the city, he used to run the Joseph D’Souza Chess Academy near Perugate Police Station, Sadashiv Peth. For 31 years, D’Souza coached athletes (virtually) in Pune and other countries. D’Souza, recipient of Maharashtra’s Shiv Chhatrapati Award, has coordinated 300 events since 1984,” she added. “In 2004, he organized the nation’s first Tier 16 chess tournament at the Poona Club. As a member of the national team’s support staff, he also went to the Chess Olympics in Calvia, Spain. He tried to improve chess and his students while maintaining ethical principles,” she said.
In addition to providing a training ground for many new arbiters, officials and volunteers, the academy serves hundreds of chess students annually. After D’Souza’s death in 2020, his wife Santhan and son Kevin took over the responsibility of running the academy with the same zeal and commitment.
“Currently, the academy offers the best chess coaching in the city. With Kevin D’Souza, my son, on board as the chief advisor of the institute, there is a professional touch in the teaching methods and approach of the coaches,” said Santhan. An ardent chess player since school, Kevin is inter-district and all-India. Now balancing the roles of player and coach, he strives to uphold his father’s legacy and elevate the academy with the support of his coach and mother.
For decades, Joseph D’Souza’s Chess Academy has nurtured international talent, producing stars like Grandmaster Akshayraj Kore and World Youth Chess Champion Akanksha Hagwane. Known for producing youth achievers at state, national and international levels, the academy is one of the most renowned chess centers in India. He has been honored with prestigious awards like Rotary Award for Coaching Excellence (2004) and Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Mentoring Award (2017).
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