India Completes a Century: Anuj Shrivatri Becomes the Country's 100th Chess Grandmaster

Representative image: wooden chess pieces on a board. (Photo: Pexels)

India has reached a historic milestone in chess. Anuj Shrivatri, a 22-year-old from Katni in Madhya Pradesh, became the country's 100th Grandmaster on Sunday, November 8, 2026, after winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Ozamiz City, Philippines. He is also the first Grandmaster ever from Madhya Pradesh.

A Diwali Triumph in the Philippines

Shrivatri's road to the title was anything but smooth. He lost his opening game of the tournament, then staged a remarkable recovery, scoring seven points from his remaining eight rounds to finish on seven points from nine. That put him half a point clear of Vietnam's Nguyen Duc Hoa, with Nouri Alekhine of the Philippines third on six points. He won his last two games with everything at stake, and the victory came on Diwali, the festival of lights.

The win earned him the Grandmaster title directly. The ASEAN Plus event is a FIDE-approved tournament that awards a direct GM title to the winner, provided at least four Grandmasters and six International Masters compete in every round. Shrivatri, rated 2450 at the event, delivered a performance rating of 2586 across the nine rounds.

From a Sawmill in Katni to Grandmaster

Shrivatri's chess journey began in the most humble of settings. His first lesson took place around 2010 at a sawmill in Katni, where his coach Birendra Kumar Tiwari first spotted the boy's talent. Years later, as his son became India's 100th Grandmaster, his father remembered that first meeting and the coach who had wanted the boy to reach this day.

He became the youngest International Master from Madhya Pradesh in August 2019, at just 15 years and 31 days old. His peak rating of 2483 came in June 2026, and he went into the ASEAN Plus championship ranked India No. 76, one of several young Indians touted as a likely 100th Grandmaster.

A Job Quit for Chess

What makes Shrivatri's story stand out is the gamble behind it. After earning a B.Tech degree from Lovely Professional University in Punjab, he took up a work-from-home job with a German company. In 2024, he quit that job to focus entirely on chess. Two years later, that decision has delivered him the highest title in the sport.

The All India Chess Federation celebrated the achievement, with president Nitin Narang posting: "GRANDMASTER No. 100 FOR BHARAT! India achieves a historic milestone as Anuj Shrivatri becomes the country's 100th Grandmaster... Onwards to 200 Grandmasters!"

A Century That Began With Anand

India's Grandmaster journey began with Viswanathan Anand, who completed his final GM norm at the Sakthi Finance tournament in Coimbatore on December 28, 1987. The growth since then has been extraordinary. India had just 44 Grandmasters in 2016; the tally has now reached 100 in a single decade, with 56 players earning the title in between. Tamil Nadu leads the way with 38 of the 100 Grandmasters.

The final stretch of the century was remarkably fast. India added its 96th to 100th Grandmasters between July and November 2026 alone, with Ethan Vaz, Harshvardhan GB, S Ashwath and V S Rathanvel earning the title before Anuj completed the hundred.

Conclusion

Anuj Shrivatri's journey from a sawmill in Katni to India's 100th Grandmaster is a reminder that Indian chess is no longer about one legend. It is about a system producing champions from every corner of the country, and a generation willing to bet everything on the game. From one Grandmaster in 1987 to a hundred in 2026, the next target is already set: 200.

Who do you think will be India's next big chess star after Anuj Shrivatri? Tell us in the comments.