Anuj Shrivatri becomes India’s 100th chess Grandmaster
The 22-year-old player from Katni won the ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines.
Anuj Shrivatri became India’s 100th chess Grandmaster on Sunday, November 8, 2026, after winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Ozamiz City, Philippines. The 22-year-old from Katni, Madhya Pradesh, also became the first Grandmaster from his state.
According to The Times of India, Shrivatri secured the title through a special tournament format that allowed the winner to earn the Grandmaster title directly. This bypassed the standard process of achieving three norms and reaching a 2500 Elo rating. Shrivatri finished the tournament with seven points from nine rounds, recovering from a loss in his opening match against Arca Karlo.
The player, who is currently ranked India No. 76, finished half a point ahead of Vietnam's Grandmaster Nguyen Duc Hoa and earned $3,000. Shrivatri, who has been an International Master since 2019, said that achieving the title was his main goal and he now intends to cross the 2600 rating barrier.
The Hindu reported that the milestone follows recent additions to the country's tally, with S. Aswath and V.S. Rathanvel becoming the 98th and 99th Grandmasters.
Viswanathan Anand, India's first Grandmaster in 1988, described the achievement as a remarkable milestone for the country.