Anuj Shrivatri becomes India's 100th chess Grandmaster

Anuj Shrivatri of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday became India's 100th chess Grandmaster after winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Ozamiz City, Philippines.

He is also the first Grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh.

The milestone comes nearly four decades after Viswanathan Anand became India's first Grandmaster in 1987, following his victory at the Shakti Finance International Chess Tournament in Coimbatore.

All India Chess Federation (AICF) president Nitin Narang congratulated Shrivatri in a post on X, calling the achievement a historic moment for Indian chess.

"GRANDMASTER No. 100 FOR BHARAT! India achieves a historic milestone as Anuj Shrivatri becomes the country's 100th Grandmaster by winning the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Chess Championships 2026 in Ozamiz City, Philippines, securing the direct GM title! Congratulations, Anuj! A proud moment for Indian chess. Onwards to 200 Grandmasters!," Narang posted.

In July, VS Rathanvel became India's 99th Grandmaster after crossing the 2,500 Elo rating mark at the Guwahati Smart City International Open 2026. The 25-year-old had completed his three Grandmaster norms in 2022.

The Grandmaster title is the highest ranking awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the global governing body for chess. Players must secure three Grandmaster norms across at least 27 games and achieve a FIDE rating of 2,500 to qualify for the title.

A Grandmaster norm requires a player to perform at a tournament rating of at least 2,600, while competing against a strong international field that meets FIDE's requirements.