Anuj Shrivatri becomes India's 100th chess Grandmaster

Anuj Shrivatri became India's 100th chess Grandmaster on Sunday after winning the seventh ASEAN Plus Individual Open Championship in Ozamiz City, the Philippines. The 22-year-old also gave Madhya Pradesh its first player to hold the title.

Shrivatri finished with seven points across nine rounds, recovering from a defeat in his opening game. His remaining eight games brought six victories and two draws, leaving him half a point ahead of Vietnamese Grandmaster Nguyen Duc Hoa.

In accounts of his tournament, he attributed the initial setback to taking excessive risks with the black pieces. He subsequently adopted a steadier approach, looking for opportunities while accepting draws when opponents defended well.

Anuj Shrivatri comes from Katni and learnt chess after his father introduced him to the game at about five or six. His early coaches included Virendra Tiwari, Nikhilesh Jain, Yashpal Arora and Rajesh Bahadur.

A return to chess after studying engineering

He earned the International Master title in 2019 but later concentrated on education amid uncertainty during the pandemic. He completed a computer science BTech at Lovely Professional University.

Playing tournaments in 2025 renewed his confidence in pursuing the Grandmaster title. After his internship ended, he turned down a full-time corporate offer to devote himself to chess.

Without sponsorship, he financed overseas competition through earnings from rapid tournaments and coaching. He described finances as a major obstacle and said he had narrowly missed opportunities to complete the title several times.

The national milestone follows S. Aswath and V.S. Rathanvel becoming India's 98th and 99th Grandmasters. Viswanathan Anand, who earned India's first such title in 1988, congratulated Shrivatri on Sunday.

India's tally has reached 100 some 38 years after Anand's breakthrough. Nine players have joined the country's Grandmaster ranks this year, according to the reports.

Also read: India football squad named for two New Zealand friendlies | Carlos Alcaraz reaches Paris semi-finals after saving two match points