Checkmatekids - The Elite Chess Development Association!
Our association is proud to provide a platform and support for dedicated young chess talents at a competitive sports level.
Our focus is on the targeted development of performance-oriented chess talents in the U8 to U25 age group. We firmly believe that chess is not just a game, but also an art and a sport that promotes strategic thinking, mental endurance, and analytical skills.
The talents of our chess development association benefit from a variety of exclusive advantages:
Performance training & coaching with experienced Grandmasters:
Performance training & coaching with experienced Grandmasters:
Our talents have the opportunity to learn from top-class chess coaches and grandmasters. We organize regular training camps and workshops to sharpen their skills.
Financial support for young talents:
Financial support for young talents:
Participation in national and international tournaments:
Participation in national and international tournaments:
Highlights
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Account holder: Checkmatekids e.V.
IBAN: DE37 1005 0000 0191 2975 50
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Checkmate Kids Welcome Package
Checkmate Kids Welcome Package
We welcome new members with an onboarding Checkmate Pack. The package contains essential items to make you part of the chess team. All items can also be ordered individually.
The package includes a T-shirt or hoodie, ceramic mug, stainless steel water bottle, socks, and more. To select your welcome package, please contact us merch@checkmatekids.de.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Dyria Sigrid Alloussi - President
For over a decade, Dyria Alloussi has worked in communication, capacity building, and project management in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. Since 2020, she has been the Program Director of a pro-European association that brings together European businesses, policymakers, academia, and young professionals. Dyria firmly believes that sport builds bridges and serves as a tool for peace and diplomacy.
Reinhard Schmidt - Treasurer
Reinhard is an actuary and an IVS-certified specialist in occupational pension provision in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. His work focuses on the mathematical valuation of pension obligations—often within complex M&A projects or international financial reporting. He programs in VBA and works in a highly analytical manner, particularly in the field of stochastic analysis. As a mathematician, he is fascinated by the elegance of probability and stochastic processes. His son is an enthusiastic chess player—a game that, like mathematics, is full of structure and strategy. Magnus Carlsen demonstrates how cognitive excellence and intuition can lead to world-class performance. He especially values the epistemic depth that chess can provide to children.
Sophie Guggenberger - Media, Press & Marketing
Sophie’s greatest passion is communication—whether professionally in PR, marketing, and journalism, or in private life when speaking with people from different social, political, or economic backgrounds, from other countries, or while traveling the world. For Sophie, communication means discourse and the exchange of ideas as well as interaction between herself and her broader environment—both inspiring others and being inspired herself. She loves creating newsworthy stories and campaigns around ideas, products, or companies she believes in, which capture public interest, address important issues, or spark new perspectives.
Trainer
Elisabeth Pähtz
Elisabeth Pähtz ist eine deutsche Schachgroßmeisterin. Sie zählt seit ihrer Jugend zu den stärksten deutschen Schachspielerinnen. Im Jahr 2002 wurde Pähtz Weltmeisterin der Mädchen in der Altersgruppe unter 18 Jahren, und 2005 wurde sie Weltmeisterin der Juniorinnen. Sie gewann die Europameisterschaft der Frauen im Schnellschach im Jahr 2018.
Thomas Pähtz
Thomas Pähtz ist ein deutscher Schachspieler (Großmeister seit 1990) und Vater von Elisabeth Pähtz. Im Mai 2002 sprach ihm der Deutsche Schachbund Dank und Anerkennung in Form einer Ehrenurkunde aus.
Robert Rabiega
Robert Rabiega ist ein deutscher Schachspieler und seit 2002 Großmeister
Our Talents
Arian Alloussi
Arian is one of Germany’s most outstanding young chess talents. He has led the national rankings in his age group for several consecutive years, setting a consistent performance benchmark. His rapid development reflects exceptional discipline, focus, and learning ability.
His coach describes him as unusually mature for his age, highlighting his deep calculation skills, patience, and constant engagement during training. Unlike many peers, Arian thinks carefully and plays with strategic precision, showing a technical style reminiscent of former world champion Anatoli Karpov.
Arian has already achieved notable success: 3rd place at the German Youth Championship (tied on points with first and second place), participation in two Youth World Championships (Almaty and Montesilvano), Berlin U7 Champion, 2nd place at the German Rapid Championship (DSSAM), and 3rd place at the German Amateur Championship (DSAM). He is also a scholarship holder at the prestigious Weissenhaus Chess Academy, underlining his exceptional potential.
Aadith Ranganathan
Aadith is among Germany’s most exciting young chess talents, recognized for exceptional achievements at both regional and national levels. His rapid rise reflects outstanding competitive strength, discipline, and a remarkable ability to excel against older opponents.
Known for his sharp calculation, fighting spirit, and mature positional understanding, Aadith has established himself as one of the strongest players of his age group in Germany and internationally. His consistent progress is reflected in a DWZ above 2000 and a FIDE rating exceeding 2050 at age ten.His achievements include winning multiple Bavarian Youth Championship titles, capturing both the U8 and U10 championships in 2024 at just eight years old—an extraordinary accomplishment. He went on to become German U8 Champion in 2024 and, at age nine, German U10 Champion in 2025, confirming his rapid development against older competition.
With a growing record of national titles and elite-level performances, Aadith is widely regarded as one of Germany’s most promising young chess players, with the potential to make a significant mark on the international stage.
CM Harshill Pradeep
Harshill is one of Germany’s most exciting young chess talents, currently ranked National No. 1 in his age category. In October 2025, he was awarded the title of Candidate Master (CM) by FIDE — a prestigious recognition of his rapidly growing strength and consistency at the international level.
As a member of the DC-Kader, Germany’s elite national youth training squad, Harshill has represented his country on multiple international stages. He competed at the European Youth Championship 2023 in Mamaia, Romania, and the World Cadet Chess Championships 2025 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Most recently, he has been selected to represent Germany at the U12 World Cup 2026, to be held in Batumi, Georgia from 15–28 June — one of the most competitive youth chess events in the world.
His recent tournament results reflect a player punching well above his age. At the Grenke Open A 2026, one of the largest and strongest open tournaments globally, he scored an impressive 5.5/9 against high-level international opposition. At the Sparkasse Open 2025, he posted a performance rating of 2341 — a near-master level result — finishing with 6/9 and recording notable victories against FIDE Masters (FM) and Women FIDE Masters (WFM).
What sets Harshill apart, however, is not just his results — it is the quality of mind he brings to the board.
Chael Nouidui
Chael is a highly promising young chess player currently residing in Tanzania, known for his rapid rise and consistent dominance in junior chess competitions. He was introduced to chess at the age of six by his father and quickly showed a natural understanding of the game, particularly in tactical awareness, calculation, and positional intuition.
His development has been largely self-driven due to limited access to structured coaching and training resources in his environment. As a result, Chael has relied mainly on self-study, online play, and occasional local exposure to competitive chess. Despite these limitations, he has demonstrated exceptional dedication, discipline, and steady improvement over time.
Chael has achieved a remarkable record in national youth chess, winning all major junior age categories, from Under-8 through Under-18. In addition, he has been awarded Best Junior Player in several open tournaments, where he has competed successfully against more experienced and higher-rated opponents.
In 2025, he transitioned into open competitions and is currently the leading junior chess players in rapid and blitz formats in the country within his age category.
Chael is widely regarded as a high-potential talent with strong prospects for future international success given structured support.