Indian Grandmaster RB Ramesh has been named the head coach of the Italian men's chess team by their national federation, with a contract that extends until the next Olympiad in 2026. At 48 years old and a recipient of the Dronacharya award, Ramesh, who has mentored R Praggnanandhaa, will focus on developing Italian players and enhancing the country's performance at the upcoming Olympiad in Uzbekistan next year. Italy placed 43rd in the Open section during the last Olympiad and currently lacks any players in the world’s top 100.

In recent years, Indian chess has gained global recognition, thanks to a wave of young talent making headlines. Both the current world champion and the junior world champion hail from India, and the national open and women's teams achieved a remarkable gold medal sweep at the last Olympiad, with three Indian players ranked in the top 10.

"Countries like India, China, and Uzbekistan have a wealth of young talent thriving, while European nations like Italy don't have that same depth. Their leading players are generally older, and the environment isn't as supportive for young talent as it is in India," Ramesh shared with HT. He previously coached the men's national team that secured a bronze medal at the 2014 Olympiad, marking India's first team medal in the event.

"The Italian federation is in the process of building a training facility, which should be ready by September. Once it's completed, I'll be heading to Italy to lead training sessions."

In 2022, Ramesh partnered with the Romanian chess federation to train players aged 8 to 14 over a six-month period. This collaboration led to Romania winning two gold medals at the European Youth Championships in September 2023, the first time in over 20 years. However, due to the current political instability in Romania, Ramesh's work with the federation is on hold. "The country is facing a national crisis, so we're just waiting for things to improve. I’m hopeful that in a couple of months, everything will be back on track, and I can continue coaching."

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