A. Krishnan with the Causeway Challenge 2026 trophy after becoming the first Indian to win a title at the prestigious international Scrabble tournament in Bangkok.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A Krishnan is jubilant after returning home with the first-place title in Division 1 at the Causeway Challenge 2026, held in Bangkok, Thailand, between May 29 to June 1. He is also the only Indian to have won a Causeway Challenge title in any division.A familiar face in Chennai’s theatre circles, Krishnan is a master-level player recognised by the World English-language Scrabble Players’ Association (WESPA), with a current rating of 1,887. The tournament field was divided into five divisions—Premier, Division 1, Division 2, Division 3 and Division 4—based on players’ skill levels and WESPA ratings.“My tryst with Scrabble began around 1998, when my grandmother gifted me a Scrabble set. Being a word buff, I was curious to learn more about the game and later trained for competitive Scrabble. Since 2012, I have been representing the city and the country at several national and international tournaments,” says Krishnan.Krishnan’s victory has given a fillip to Scrabble players in Chennai, especially with the Chennai Open Scrabble Tournament scheduled to be held from June 26 to 28. The event is India’s first WESPA Silver Tier tournament to be backed by a Government body and carries a total cash prize of ₹4.3 lakh. It will feature categories for open, beginners, school and college participants.
