Anuj Shrivatri becomes India's 100th chess Grandmaster

TL;DR in 30 sec

International Master Anuj Shrivatri won the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines and became India’s 100th Grandmaster, News On AIR reported.
He is the first Grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh, according to News On AIR, ChessBase India and Khel Now.
After losing his first game, he scored seven points from his last eight games, News On AIR reported.
The milestone came 38 years after Viswanathan Anand became India’s first Grandmaster, ESPN reported.

A crowned chess king stands in a spotlight on a chessboard, with smaller pieces gathered behind it and confetti in the air. — Illustration

What happened

India’s Grandmaster count reached three figures this weekend. Anuj Shrivatri, an International Master from Madhya Pradesh, won the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship and with it the Grandmaster title, News On AIR reported on 9 November.

The event was played in Ozamiz City in the Philippines, ESPN reported. Shrivatri lost his opening game to Arca Christian Gian Karlo of the Philippines, Khel Now said. He then took seven points from his remaining eight games, according to News On AIR.

ChessBase India’s final standings after nine rounds put him on 7 points, half a point clear of Vietnam’s Grandmaster Nguyen Duc Hoa on 6.5. His rating is 2450. Three other Indians, Viani Antonio Dcunha, Audi Ameya and Ritviz Parab, finished on 6 points inside the top ten, according to the same table. ChessBase India said the win came on Diwali.

All India Chess Federation (AICF) president Nitin Narang wrote on X that Shrivatri secured “the direct GM title” by winning the championship, ESPN reported. “Onwards to 200 Grandmasters!” Narang added in the same post.

Why it matters for India 🇮🇳

Shrivatri is Madhya Pradesh’s first Grandmaster, according to News On AIR, ChessBase India and Khel Now. News On AIR said Narang called it a historic milestone for Indian chess.

With 100, India becomes only the fourth country to reach that many Grandmasters, after Russia, Germany and the United States, Khel Now reported.

The pace of growth stands out. India had 25 Grandmasters at the end of 2011, ESPN reported. In 2022, during the Chess Olympiad in Chennai, Anand had hoped India would get its 75th Grandmaster in the 75th year of independence, ESPN said. Four years on, 25 more have been added.

Background

The Grandmaster title is chess’s highest title and is awarded by FIDE, the world chess body, News On AIR has explained. It ranks above International Master, FIDE Master and Candidate Master.

Many players get there through norms and a rating mark. S Rohith Krishna, for example, became India’s 89th Grandmaster in August 2025 after scoring 6 out of 9 at the Almaty Masters and crossing a 2500 Elo rating, News On AIR reported. Shrivatri took a different route: winning the championship brought the title directly, according to the AICF president’s post cited by ESPN.

The ASEAN event has done this before. Raahul VS became India’s 91st Grandmaster in November 2025 by winning the 6th ASEAN Individual Championship, News On AIR reported at the time.

Shrivatri, born on 21 July 2004, is 22, according to Khel Now. VS Rathnavel became India’s 99th Grandmaster in July, ESPN reported.

Different perspectives

No contrary view was found in the sources reviewed. The reports differ only in phrasing: ESPN puts the gap since Anand’s title at 38 years, while Khel Now calls it almost four decades.

Open questions 🤔

When will FIDE list Anuj Shrivatri as a Grandmaster in its official records?
Which event will Anuj Shrivatri play next as a Grandmaster?
How long will India take to reach 200 Grandmasters?

What to watch next

Indian chess now turns to the world championship. Gukesh Dommaraju will defend his world title against Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva later this month, ESPN reported.