About
About
Academy Introduction
Leadership Profiles
Founder – WIM Mrunalini Kunte
Mrunalini Kunte is a former National Champion and has represented India at 03 Olympiad Games and many international platforms. She has won medals for India at the Asian Junior Girls’ in 1991 & 1993. She was awarded the Shiv Chhatrapati Award (the highest prestigious sports award) for her achievements.
Post her competitive career in the field, she decided to contribute to the Chess community at the grassroots level, and thus, Kunte’s Chess Academy was founded/established. Through her love and passion for chess, she has groomed multiple students globally. In 2019, she was awarded the Jijamata Award for Sports Guides for her contribution in grooming the players of Maharashtra. She has recently been accredited with the title of FIDE TRAINER, which is the second-highest category from FIDE.
Founder’s Note
Chess has always been more than a sport for me. When I started playing in the 80s, there were hardly any chess tournaments in India. As Abhijit and I climbed our way up the ladder, we realised the necessity of making chess coaching available to everyone. This vision led to the opening of KCA in 2007. We have promoted chess through the academy as well as programs like Chess in Schools. This sport has given me everything, and I feel this is just a small contribution that I am making to the Chess community.
Vision
Our vision is to train young minds and build a strong foundation of the game, which will help them in all walks of life
Vision
Our vision is to train young minds and build a strong foundation of the game, which will help them in all walks of life
Mission
At KCA, we aim to provide structured training to young minds, building a keen liking for the game. We believe in developing a strong foundation to prepare the players for success.
Mission
A strong foundation is the key to success in Chess. Our coaches train the players in fundamental strategies and logical thinking right from their first session.
We help players build their confidence through independent thinking and decision-making.
We prepare children to compete and accept their wins and losses gracefully. We value the effort more than the results in the game.
We teach players to accept the challenges and focus on improvement through regular practice and self-reflection.
We provide a very supportive environment to the children where they can stay curious and motivated to learn.
Our Team
IM Abhishek Kelkar
(Pune, Maharashtra)
FIDE Rating: 2198
Started playing chess at the age of 6 and In the chess field for the last 20 years.
Extremely passionate about this game and still active player and in coaching.
Neeraj Kumar Mishra
(Jamshedpur, Jharkhand)
FIDE Rating: 2088
Mr Mishra has been a part of the Chess community for the last 50 years, both as a former player and now as a coach and mentor to the young players.
Pruthu Deshpande
(Pune, Maharashtra)
FIDE Rating: 2198
Pruthu, a FIDE-rated player from Pune, Maharashtra, with a current rating of 2198. He began my chess journey at the age of 6, right here at Kunte's Chess Academy and has been hooked ever since. The logical and analytical aspect of the game fascinated him. He is passionate about sharing my love for chess and guiding students of all levels to improve and appreciate the game's beauty.
Vaibhav Barahate
(Amravati, Maharashtra)
FIDE Rating: 1806
Vaibhav has a teaching experience of 07 years. He likes to teach because Chess is fun, cool, awesome, and it improves one's thinking abilities. Chess is pure skill against skill. He teaches from the Basic & Intermediate Levels.
Omkar Marathe
(Pune, Maharashtra)
FIDE Rating: 1644
Omkar enjoys simplifying complex ideas, helping players experience breakthrough moments, and watching their confidence grow on the board. He teaches the Basic and Intermediate batches.
Prasad Vanjale
(Pune, Maharashtra)
FIDE Rating: 1627
Prasad enjoys the strategic depth and creative problem-solving that chess offers, as well as the opportunity to guide students through meaningful improvement. Prakash loves to interact with children and is passionate about sharing the beauty and lifelong learning the game provides. He teaches the Basic and Intermediate batches.
Pranit Gholap
(Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra)
FIDE Rating: 1550
Pranit believes that every game tells a new story. He likes to help students strengthen their fundamentals and tactics. He teaches the Basic and Intermediate batches.
