Ashwin Jayaram

Now 24 years old, Ashwin Jayaram has played chess since the age of eight. He is from Bangalor, India, and came to St. Louis in August 2014 to attend Webster University where he is now earning a master’s degree in finance.

“For a career, I’m thinking about financial analysis, so that I can take advantage of my analytical skills in chess and apply them in the corporate world,” he said.

Jayaram played chess with kids his age in India, and his parents regularly took him to lessons and tournaments.  Now an International Master, he has actually earned four Grandmaster norms and needs only the rating of 2500 to earn the elite title. In June 2013, though he tied for 13th place in the Grand Europe Albena Chess Tournament in Bulgaria, finishing as the best Indian player in the field. Later, he tied for first place in the 51st National Challengers Chess Championship in India.

Jayaram would like to work for a financial company like Edward Jones.  In the fall semester he joined the Webster University chess team, which is the No. 1-ranked Division I Collegiate Chess Team in the United States.