NEW DELHI, November 11 (Aalimi Nation) – Anuj Shrivatri, a 22-year-old from Madhya Pradesh, has become India's 100th chess Grandmaster, a landmark for a country that produced its first player of that rank only in 1988. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him on Tuesday, calling it a proud moment for the country.
Shrivatri won the seventh ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Ozamiz City in the Philippines, where the event concluded on Sunday, November 8. He lost his opening game but recovered to finish on 7 points from nine rounds, ahead of Vietnam's Nguyen Duc Hoa, who took second place. Under the special format of the event, its winner receives the Grandmaster title directly, which spared him the usual route of collecting three norms and reaching a rating threshold.
Several other Indian players featured in the top ten of the same tournament, with Viani Antonio Dcunha, Audi Ameya and Ritviz Parab each finishing on 6 points.
Shrivatri comes from the Katni region and is the first player from Madhya Pradesh to hold the title. He had already earned the International Master title as a teenager, around 2019, and followed an independent path during years when tournaments were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and coaching was hard to find.
Modi said India had "reached a century in chess" and credited the milestone to talent, dedication and the growing popularity of the game among young people. He hoped the achievement would encourage more youngsters to take up the sport.
Nitin Narang, president of the All India Chess Federation, wrote on X: "Congratulations, Anuj! A proud moment for Indian chess. Onwards to 200 Grandmasters!"
The figure of 100 is a striking contrast with the early decades of the sport in the country. Viswanathan Anand became India's first Grandmaster in 1988, and Dibyendu Barua became the second in 1991. Praveen Thipsay followed in 1997. By 2013 the country had 32 Grandmasters, and the count reached 50 in 2017.
The recent pace has been especially quick. Five Indians have been added to the list between July and November this year: Ethan Vaz, Harshvardhan G B, S Ashwath, V Rathnavel and now Shrivatri. Tamil Nadu has the largest share of Indian Grandmasters, which makes the Madhya Pradesh milestone notable for the state and for players from regions with fewer established chess academies.
Attention in Indian chess is now turning to D. Gukesh, the reigning World Chess Champion, who is set to defend his title later this month. Shrivatri's own future schedule has not been announced.
His route to the 100th spot was far from conventional. He reached the International Master level largely through self-directed preparation, and the Grandmaster title came after a tournament in which he had to recover from a first-round defeat. Madhya Pradesh, which had no Grandmaster until now, can count one more name on a list that has grown steadily for almost four decades.
