Anuj Shrivatri secures chess history as India reaches its 100th Grandmaster milestone

Anuj Shrivatri has etched his name in sports history by claiming the 100th chess Grandmaster title for India. He sealed this monumental status on Sunday after taking first place at the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship held in Ozamiz City, Philippines. The triumph also makes him the very first player from Madhya Pradesh to earn this elite status.

Growth

This breakthrough pushes the nation into a rare club, nearly four decades after Viswanathan Anand became the country's pioneering grandmaster back in 1987 by winning a tournament in Coimbatore. Just a few months prior in July, VS Rathanvel notched the 99th spot by crossing the 2500 Elo threshold at a competition in Guwahati.

Reactions

Leaders of the sport were quick to celebrate the landmark achievement. All India Chess Federation president Nitin Narang took to social media to share his excitement, noting the proud occasion for the country and setting his sights on the next major milestone of 200 grandmasters.

Context

Grandmaster is the highest official rank a chess player can reach, managed by the global governing body FIDE based in Lausanne. Earning the title requires meeting tough criteria, including three successful norms over a minimum of 27 games and crossing a 2500 rating threshold.