A respected Mumbai-based FIDE-certified trainer and arbiter, Praful Jhaveri, has secured a major new appointment: he will serve as both head coach and team captain for the St Kitts and Nevis Chess Federation at the upcoming 46th edition of the global Chess Olympiad, the sport’s most prestigious international team competition. The 2025 Olympiad is scheduled to run from September 15 to 28 this year, hosted across multiple venues in Uzbekistan.
Jhaveri’s path to this role opened through a strong professional recommendation from International Master Abhilash Kelkar, who previously led the same St Kitts and Nevis national squad at the 2024 Chess Olympiad. Kelkar, who had built a positive working relationship with the federation during his tenure, shared Jhaveri’s instructional chess publications with association leadership, a move that directly paved the way for Jhaveri’s selection.
Since the appointment was finalized, Jhaveri has already begun full training work with the Caribbean nation’s young squad. In a public statement following the announcement, he noted that the team brings abundant energy and passion to the competition, while the program remains grounded in realistic expectations for the high-stakes global event. “We have already started working together, and what stands out most is the hunger these young players bring to every session,” Jhaveri said. “We are realistic about the challenge ahead of us against some of the world’s top-ranked chess nations, but our entire team is committed to putting forward a strong, respectable performance. For me, the most meaningful outcome would be seeing our unregistered players earn their first official FIDE ratings through their performance here — that would mark a major win for the growth of chess in St Kitts and Nevis.”
The appointment marks a rare cross-regional collaboration in international competitive chess, where small island nations often partner with experienced international coaches to build their national programs and support emerging local players ahead of the biennial Olympiad.