Anuj Shrivatri became India's 100th chess grandmaster on Sunday, November 8, 2026.5 The player from Madhya Pradesh completed the title requirements by winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship.1

He is also the first grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh.4

What Happened

The 22-year-old lost his opening game, then recovered to finish with seven points after nine rounds.1

The tournament was held in Ozamiz City, in the Philippines.5 Its full title ends with "Governor Henry S Oaminal Cup," which indicates the event is named for a governor.6 Jayson Gonzales served as tournament director.6

Anuj Shrivatri and Madhya Pradesh

ChessBase India reported the result under the headline "IM Anuj Shrivatri Becomes India's 100th Grandmaster."2 It wrote that Indians were waiting for the 100-mark, and people in Madhya Pradesh were waiting for their first.2

The site also called the result a gift on the auspicious day of Diwali, a major festival in India.2

India's Grandmaster Count

Shrivatri reached the milestone nearly 39 years after India's first grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand.1 The online chess site Chess.com's November count of Indian grandmasters shows 97 with confirmed titles, while three players, Ethan Vaz, Rathanvel V S and Shrivatri, are awaiting formal confirmation of their titles.3

What Comes Next

Chess.com is an online chess site with over 250 million members.7 It says India could overtake Germany in total grandmasters in 2027 if its recent pace of producing new grandmasters continues.3

A chess news page from India listed "V. Pranav is the World Junior Blitz Champion 2026!" as its top story.8

Still pending are the formal confirmations of the titles for Ethan Vaz, Rathanvel V S and Shrivatri, and Chess.com says India could overtake Germany in 2027 if its recent pace continues.3

Sources