In a landmark milestone for Indian sports, 22-year-old International Master Anuj Shrivatri from Madhya Pradesh has officially become India’s 100th chess Grandmaster after winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Ozamiz City, Philippines.
Thirty-eight years after Viswanathan Anand became the country’s first Grandmaster in 1988, Indian chess has crossed the historic three-figure mark. Shrivatri’s decisive triumph also establishes him as the very first Grandmaster from the state of Madhya Pradesh, completing an extraordinary five-month surge where India produced five Grandmasters (96th to 100th) between July and November 2026. Explore our related youth sports milestones in Dhinidhi Desinghu’s Historic Double Bronze in Dakar 2026 and cricket leadership updates in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Named Bihar Captain at 15.
01. Anuj Shrivatri: India’s 100th Grandmaster Milestone & Performance Telemetry
| Metric / Attribute | Official FIDE & Championship Details |
|---|---|
| Player Name | Anuj Shrivatri |
| Title Conferred | 100th Grandmaster (GM) of India |
| Age & State | 22 Years; Madhya Pradesh (1st GM from the state) |
| Title-Deciding Tournament | 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship |
| Venue & Host Nation | Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, Philippines |
| Tournament Scorecard | 7.0 / 9.0 Points (Bounced back from a Round 1 loss to score 7/8) |
| Predecessor Milestone | V.S. Rathanvel (99th GM of India) |
| Pioneering Benchmark | Viswanathan Anand (1st GM of India, 1988) |
02. From Viswanathan Anand to Century: The Evolution of Indian Chess Dominance
Shrivatri’s ascent to the Grandmaster title underscores the depth and rapid acceleration of India’s chess ecosystem:
- Direct Title Regulation: Under FIDE continental and regional open championship provisions, clinching first place at the ASEAN Plus Individual Open fulfilled the direct title conferment criteria, propelling Shrivatri past the final hurdle without waiting for conventional multi-norm aggregation.
- First for Madhya Pradesh: While southern states—particularly Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Maharashtra—have historically contributed the bulk of India’s grandmasters, Shrivatri’s breakthrough represents a geographic expansion of elite chess infrastructure into central India.
- The Rapid Century Acceleration: While it took India nearly 12 years after Anand to gain its second GM (Dibyendu Barua in 1991) and reached 50 GMs in 2017, the leap from 50 to 100 Grandmasters took less than a decade, powered by domestic international tournaments and corporate academy sponsorships.
- Tournament Resilience: After suffering a setback in the opening round, Shrivatri went unbeaten in the remaining eight rounds, defeating higher-rated international masters and grandmasters to finish atop the podium with 7.0 points.
03. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is India’s 100th chess Grandmaster?
Anuj Shrivatri, a 22-year-old chess player from Madhya Pradesh, officially became India’s 100th chess Grandmaster on November 8, 2026.
Which tournament earned Anuj Shrivatri his Grandmaster title?
He earned the Grandmaster title by winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship held in Ozamiz City, Philippines, scoring 7 points out of 9 rounds.
Who was India’s first-ever chess Grandmaster?
Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand became India’s first-ever chess Grandmaster in 1988.
04. Sources
- FIDE (International Chess Federation): 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Championship Results & Direct Title Notifications, November 8–9, 2026.
- ChessBase India: IM Anuj Shrivatri Becomes India’s 100th Grandmaster and First from Madhya Pradesh, November 9, 2026.
- Press Trust of India & Hindustan Times: Anuj Shrivatri Wins in Philippines to Become India’s 100th Chess Grandmaster, November 9, 2026.
NewsY Sports Desk: Tournament scores, round breakdowns, FIDE title regulations, and state records reflect verified competitive tournament data.
