GM Akshat Chandra

Hello! My name's Akshat Chandra and I'm a Grandmaster from the United States. I learned to play chess at the age of ~9, while living in India, and reached a ~2500 rating at the age 15. I was officially awarded the GM title at the age of 17. I completed both my undergraduate and master's degrees at Saint Louis University, where I earned a BA in Computer Science with a minor in Philosophy, and an MA in Philosophy.

I also founded chessascend.com/, an online academy for group lessons. Check it out if you're interested!

I've been an active tournament player for around 14 years. Some of my best results include:

1) 2019 SPICE Cup Champion
2) 2018 UTD Fall FIDE Open Champion
3) 2015 US Junior Champion
4) 2015 National High School Champion
5) 2015 National High School Blitz Champion
5) 2013 Super Nationals Champion (K-9)

I have been teaching since 2017. For private lessons, my target students are in the 1400 - 1900 range, though this range is flexible.
I would be more than happy to work with someone 2000+, or a young beginner who is just getting into the game.

I have also given several group lectures and seminars.

I was the Resident GM for the St. Louis Chess Club in Oct 2023, and also served as a GM trainer for two Scholastic chess camps conducted by the St. Louis Chess Club in the summer of 2024.

I am more middlegame and endgame oriented, although I'm perfectly comfortable teaching openings as well. My main interest lies in positional play, in particular, learning to recognize positional motifs and ideas.

Lessons normally conducted via Google Meets, and correspondence through email or lichess inbox. Lessons are tailored according to the student's needs. Homework is regularly assigned, and I am available to chat outside of class time.

I am also available to play training games, with feedback provided afterwards.