Anuj Shrivatri becomes India's 100th Grandmaster, first from Madhya Pradesh
By Aarav DeshpandeSports Correspondent, Peepals Yuva
Representative image: obsidianphotography / Pixabay
Anuj Shrivatri, 22, became India's 100th chess Grandmaster on 8 November 2026 by winning the ASEAN Plus Individual Open in the Philippines.
What Happened
Anuj Shrivatri, a 22-year-old International Master from Madhya Pradesh, became India's 100th chess Grandmaster by winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines, which ended on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Winning the event earned him the Grandmaster title directly. He finished half a point ahead of Vietnam's Nguyen Duc Hoa, and is the first player from Madhya Pradesh to become a Grandmaster, according to reports.
Key Facts
- Anuj Shrivatri, 22, won the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship on 8 November 2026 and earned the Grandmaster (GM) title.
- He is India's 100th Grandmaster and the first from Madhya Pradesh, reports say.
- He finished half a point ahead of Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam; Nouri Alekhine of the Philippines was third with six points.
- One report says he scored seven points out of a possible eight.
- The championship was held in Misamis Occidental province in the Philippines.
- India's 98th and 99th Grandmasters, Aswath S and V.S. Rathanvel, both earned the title in July 2026.
- One report says Shrivatri left a software engineering career to chase the Grandmaster title.
Why It Matters
Grandmaster is the highest title in chess apart from world champion, awarded by FIDE, the world chess body. Most players earn it the slow way, by collecting three "norms" (strong results in tournaments against high-rated opponents) and reaching a rating of 2500. Winning certain continental championships, such as this one, gives the title directly. For Shrivatri, a single tournament win completed the climb. The Philippine chess federation had promoted this championship, held alongside a women's section, as one of its events offering titles to the winners.
The milestone of 100 Grandmasters shows how far Indian chess has come. The 99th, V.S. Rathanvel, is from Tamil Nadu, a state with a long chess tradition. Shrivatri's title, the first for Madhya Pradesh, shows that strong players are now emerging from states that had no Grandmaster before. That matters for young players in those states, who can now point to someone from their own region who has reached the top title.
His path is also a reminder of the choices young athletes face. According to one report, he gave up a software engineering career to focus on chess. Choosing a sport over a steady job is a decision many young athletes weigh.
What young players can take from it: open international tournaments and continental championships are routes to titles, not only for the established stars. Players aiming for titles should follow the All India Chess Federation's tournament calendar and FIDE's rules on which events give direct titles.
Peepals timeline: Aswath S became India's 98th Grandmaster in July 2026, and V.S. Rathanvel followed as the 99th that same month after crossing a 2500 rating at the Guwahati Smart City International Open. India then waited until 8 November 2026, when Anuj Shrivatri won the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open in the Philippines to become the 100th, roughly four months after the 99th.
| Place | Player | Country | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anuj Shrivatri | India | Champion; earns GM title |
| 2 | Nguyen Duc Hoa | Vietnam | Half a point behind |
| 3 | Nouri Alekhine | Philippines | Six points |
Impact
Short-term: The win gives Shrivatri the Grandmaster title and makes him the 100th name on India's list; reports have not yet said which event he will play next.
Long-term: A first Grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh could boost chess in the state, encouraging more young players, coaches and tournaments there.
Who is affected: Young chess players in Madhya Pradesh and across India, chess coaches and academies, and the All India Chess Federation.
Key Takeaway
By winning the ASEAN Plus Individual Open on 8 November 2026, 22-year-old Anuj Shrivatri became India's 100th Grandmaster and the first from Madhya Pradesh.
Questions and Answers
Who is India's 100th Grandmaster?
Anuj Shrivatri, a 22-year-old player from Madhya Pradesh, became India's 100th Grandmaster on 8 November 2026 by winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines.
How did Anuj Shrivatri become a Grandmaster?
He earned the title directly by winning the ASEAN Plus Individual Open, a continental championship whose winner qualifies for the GM title, finishing half a point ahead of Vietnam's Nguyen Duc Hoa.
Who were India's 98th and 99th Grandmasters?
Aswath S became the 98th and V.S. Rathanvel the 99th, both in July 2026.
Is Anuj Shrivatri the first Grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh?
Yes, according to reports, he is the first player from Madhya Pradesh to earn the Grandmaster title.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Aarav Deshpande, Sports CorrespondentCovers Sports and more for Peepals Yuva. All stories by Aarav Deshpande
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Aarav Deshpande is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
