Chess Prodigy Deekshitha’s Father Launches Rs 15 Lakh Crowdfunding Campaign to Fund Her International Master Dream

New Delhi: A remarkable rise through the chess rankings has opened a new opportunity for 14-year-old Deekshitha Modipalli, but turning that opportunity into an International Master title could depend on whether her family can raise enough money to support the next stage of her career.

Deekshitha recently made headlines after gaining 484 Elo rating points in just one month across four tournaments. The extraordinary improvement also saw her world ranking rise by nearly 29,200 places.

Her performances during the month earned her an International Master norm, giving the young player a realistic new ambition of progressing towards the International Master title and, potentially in the longer term, becoming a Grandmaster.

But the rapid rise has also brought significantly higher expenses.

Deekshitha's recent success came during a tournament trip to Europe. To continue gaining rating points and collecting the norms required to progress towards the International Master title, she will need to participate in several more international tournaments.

For her family, financing those opportunities has become a major challenge.

Her father, M Sheshadri Nayudu, has therefore turned to crowdfunding to help finance his daughter's chess career.

Rs 15 lakh crowdfunding target

Sheshadri, an IT professional from Hampapuram village in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district, launched a crowdfunding campaign on Ketto four days before the report was published.

The campaign has a target of Rs 15 lakh over 45 days.

At the time of the report, 14 supporters had contributed around Rs 51,000.

The money is intended to cover the costs associated with Deekshitha's training and participation in international chess tournaments.

The campaign's proposed allocation includes:

• Rs 4 lakh for coaching and training

• Rs 3 lakh for accommodation

• Rs 2 lakh for airfare

• Rs 2 lakh for tournament preparation

• Rs 2 lakh for food and other travel expenses

• Rs 1 lakh for tournament entry fees

• Rs 50,000 for local transport

• Rs 30,000 for visas

The immediate plan is to use the funds to support a couple of tournament trips to Europe.

Deekshitha is already scheduled to travel to Turkey for two consecutive tournaments.

However, according to her family and coach, the expenses will not end with that trip.

If she is to continue improving her rating and earn the norms required for the International Master title, she will need sustained access to international competitions and higher-level coaching.

A dramatic rise in just one month

Deekshitha's recent progress has been particularly striking because of how quickly it happened.

Across four tournaments, she gained 484 Elo points.

That surge pushed her world ranking up by around 29,200 places and also made her the top-ranked player in the world among girls under the age of 20, according to the report.

The rating jump also brought an important milestone: an International Master norm.

A norm is an important performance benchmark in the process of earning international chess titles.

For a young player, obtaining an IM norm can signal that their performance has reached a significantly higher competitive level.

For Deekshitha, the achievement has therefore changed the family's expectations about how far her chess career could go.

Instead of simply participating in tournaments and improving gradually, the family now sees a realistic pathway towards the International Master title.

Her coach, International Master Krishna Teja, believes that the financial support could make a significant difference.

Why international tournaments are so expensive

For aspiring chess professionals, improvement does not come only from playing more games.

Players attempting to move into higher rating ranges often need access to stronger opponents, specialised coaching and international tournaments.

European open tournaments are particularly important because they can provide opportunities to play against a large field of strong players.

But travelling to Europe involves a wide range of expenses.

Airfare, accommodation, food, local transport, tournament entry fees and visas can quickly add up.

There are also coaching costs.

As a player's rating rises, the type of coaching required can change significantly.

Sheshadri said that Deekshitha had previously received coaching through an annual fee arrangement.

As her rating improved, however, the coaching structure shifted towards an hourly model.

The higher level of competition now requires more specialised and personalised preparation.

Rs 15 lakh may only be the minimum

According to Krishna Teja, the Rs 15 lakh crowdfunding target represents only the minimum budget required for Deekshitha to continue competing at this level for a year.

He estimated that an ideal annual budget for a young chess prodigy chasing norms and rating gains could be around Rs 25-30 lakh.

Such a budget would allow a player to have a parent travelling with them, individual coaching and other logistical support during international tournaments.

However, the minimum budget can be considerably lower if the player travels without a parent and trains as part of a group containing higher-rated players.

Krishna Teja estimated the minimum annual requirement at approximately Rs 15-17 lakh under those circumstances.

That would include around three to four trips to Europe, which alone could cost approximately Rs 10-12 lakh.

Coaching would add another Rs 3.5-4 lakh, particularly because Deekshitha now requires individual training sessions in addition to group coaching.

Moving to stronger training groups

The change in Deekshitha's coaching requirements reflects her rapid improvement.

Until recently, she trained in a group at her academy where the players had ratings of approximately 2000-2100.

But as Deekshitha's own rating has risen, her coach believes she now needs to train with stronger players.

She also needs more personalised coaching.

Krishna Teja said the annual coaching expense is currently around Rs 3.5-4 lakh.

The objective is to ensure that Deekshitha's training environment develops at the same pace as her competitive level.

A difficult funding environment in Indian chess

The crowdfunding campaign also highlights a broader challenge in Indian chess.

While India has produced an increasing number of elite players and Grandmasters, financial support is not always equally available across different stages of a player's development.

Established super-Grandmasters often attract sponsors and receive favourable tournament conditions.

These can include waived entry fees, accommodation, boarding, flights and, in some cases, appearance fees.

Players who are still trying to increase their ratings and earn norms through open tournaments often do not receive the same level of support.

That leaves families to finance a significant portion of the expenses themselves.

Deekshitha's case illustrates the gap between talent and the resources required to develop that talent internationally.

Crowdfunding remains relatively uncommon

Crowdfunding is still not a common route for Indian chess players seeking financial assistance.

However, it has been used by some players in the past.

The report notes that Ethan Vaz, who later became India's 96th Grandmaster, International Master Muhammad Imran, and Woman Candidate Master Shivamshika G have previously attempted fundraising through similar methods.

For Sheshadri, the decision to launch a campaign came after he saw other chess players use crowdfunding to finance their careers.

He said that despite the attention Deekshitha received following her dramatic rating rise, neither government authorities nor private sponsors had contacted the family during the week following the achievement.

That prompted him to explore crowdfunding as a possible way to bridge the financial gap.

The road to International Master

The immediate goal is clear: give Deekshitha enough opportunities to continue playing strong tournaments, improve her rating and collect the norms required for the International Master title.

Her coach believes that if the family can raise the full Rs 15 lakh within a year, there is a genuine possibility that Deekshitha could achieve the International Master title within that period.

That makes the crowdfunding campaign more than simply an appeal for financial assistance.

It is an attempt to ensure that a sudden breakthrough does not become a one-time achievement.

For young chess players, maintaining momentum can be as important as achieving the initial breakthrough.

A large rating gain can open the door to stronger tournaments, but competing at those tournaments costs money.

Without sufficient financial support, the player may be unable to participate in the very events needed to continue improving.

Deekshitha's next challenge

Deekshitha is already preparing for her next international challenge in Turkey, where she will compete in two back-to-back tournaments.

Those events could provide further opportunities to gain rating points and work towards additional norms.

But the longer-term journey will require repeated participation in high-level tournaments.

Her recent 484-point rating jump demonstrates the potential that exists.

The question now is whether the family can secure enough financial support to give her the opportunity to build on that progress.

For Sheshadri, the Rs 15 lakh campaign is an attempt to make sure financial limitations do not prevent his daughter from pursuing an opportunity that her performances have created.

For Deekshitha, the coming months could prove crucial.

At just 14, she has already earned an International Master norm and achieved a remarkable rise in the global rankings.

With stronger coaching, regular international competition and adequate financial support, the next stage of her chess journey could take her significantly closer to the International Master title — and perhaps eventually towards the Grandmaster level.