Ashutosh Thakur

Outside of work, my hobbies are playing chess and tabla (indian drums)!

Tabla:

I have been learning tabla since 1998 from Prafulla Athalye and since 2003 having been attending workshops of Ustad Zakir Hussain from 2003. I have performed in over 50 concerts in Princeton, Tucson, Phoenix, Mumbai, and Pune, and also teach tabla.

Check out my videos, audio recordings, and other information on my website: https://sites.google.com/site/thakurtabla/

Here's a small video clip of me accompanying legendary sitar maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan at Fine Hall, Princeton University (2012).

Chess:

Though I haven't actively played tournaments past few years, I used to be a National Expert in chess, K-8 Arizona State Champion, multiple time Arizona State grade champion, All America Cup Champion, and CEA Grand Nationals Champion. I was the Co-President of the Princeton University Chess Club from 2011-2014 during when we were voted the College Chess Club of the Year by United States Chess Federation (2013). Here's a fun video from those good old days!

These days I enjoy keeping up with the game and playing informally! I believe the technical term is called being a "patzer!"