THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At just 20 years old, Arundhathy Raju Nair is already a force to reckon with in the rare and demanding sport that is chessboxing.

A final-year BTech student at LBS Engineering College in Thiruvananthapuram, Arundhathy has managed to balance the pressures of academics with the intensity of training, and in the process, etched her name in Asia Book of Records for being the only female athlete to win the Asian Chessboxing Championship for three consecutive years: 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Her journey began in Class V when she discovered chess. Representing her school at state-level competitions, Arundhathy quickly developed a reputation for her sharp mind and calm composure.

However, her life took an unexpected turn when her coach, Sandhanu Vijayan, introduced her to chessboxing, a hybrid sport that demands both mental agility and physical aggression.

“I started with a loss after just two months of practice,” she recalls. “Later, I picked up momentum, winning gold or silver regularly in Asian and national championships.”

Unlike any other sport, the main challenge in chessboxing lies not only in mastering chess and boxing, two games at opposite ends of the spectrum, but also in switching seamlessly between them.

First, a chess match is played in the boxing ring. If no decision is reached within three minutes, the players spar. The game keeps alternating until there is a winner.

Unlike other combat sports such as kick boxing, chessboxing combines pure chess and pure boxing, with rules of both the disciplines enforced strictly.

“Usually, chess players do not take up boxing. They prefer concentrating on the board. Boxers, on the other hand, show aggression but may not think of ways to win a board game. Chessboxing shows you are both mentally and physically fit,” Arundhathy explains.

The toughest part, she admits, is regaining focus after a bout. “You may not be in a position to think through the strategies you planned earlier.”

Her breakthrough moment came in 2023, during her first year of engineering, when she scored back-to-back victories against Maharashtra’s Madhavi Gonbare, a prominent Indian chessboxer.

Those wins, first at the Asian Championship (her maiden Asian title) and then at the Indian Open World Championship, catapulted her to fame. “I was just one of the players till then,” she says.

She has gone on to win gold at the Asian Championship in Kolkata, competing in the under-55 kg category, and has built a professional boxing record of two wins and one loss.

Behind her success lies a strong support system. Arundhathy grew up in Oruvathikotta, Thiruvananthapuram, studied at GGHS Cottonhill, and comes from a family deeply rooted in academics and professional excellence.

Her father, Raju N R, is a senior IT professional at Allianz Technology, while her mother, Suma M S, serves as the principal of Sholayur HSS in Palakkad. Her younger sister, Aparna N Nair, also tried her hand at boxing before Arundhathy.

Her family’s encouragement and example provided Arundhathy with a strong foundation of discipline, resilience and ambition, shaping her journey both inside the ring and on the chessboard.

Training for her is a disciplined affair. She practises boxing at the Brothers Boxing Academy and hones her chess skills at Masters Academy. Before competitions, she follows a strict 45-day regimen that combines diet and training.

“I am underweight, so there isn’t much weight restriction,” she says with a smile, acknowledging the unique advantage she carries into her bouts.

Chessboxing may still be a niche sport in India, but it is gaining recognition abroad. It was even showcased at the Paris Olympics cultural event. Arundhathy hopes to be part of the wave that brings the sport into the mainstream in India.

Her next big goal is the World Championship in France, where she plans to represent the country on the global stage.

Arundhathy’s story is not just about medals and records. It is about breaking stereotypes, proving that a chess player can throw punches, and a boxer can think several moves ahead. Her journey embodies resilience, discipline, and the courage to step into uncharted territory.

The story is reported by Unnikrishnan S for The New Indian Express