Anuj Shrivatri becomes India's 100th grandmaster
The Madhya Pradesh player secured the title by winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines.
International Master Anuj Shrivatri became India's 100th grandmaster after winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Ozamiz City, Philippines, according to reports by ANI and The Tribune.
Shrivatri, who is the first player from Madhya Pradesh to achieve the title, earned the direct grandmaster status by winning the tournament. After losing his first match, he collected seven points during his remaining eight games.
All India Chess Federation (AICF) President Nitin Narang congratulated Shrivatri on X, calling the achievement a historic milestone and a proud moment for Indian chess. Narang expressed hope that the country would reach 200 grandmasters next.
Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world champion, told the Hindustan Times that the milestone is remarkable and noted the rapid pace of growth. He mentioned that the country had 30 grandmasters 15 years ago and reached 100 four years after the 2022 Olympiad.
The number of Indian grandmasters has increased significantly since 2020, with nine players added this year alone.