21-year-old Raahul VS is India's newest chess Grandmaster.
India’s chess revolution continues as the nation welcomes its 91st Grandmaster, Raahul VS. The 21-year-old talent secured the prestigious title in style on Friday, winning the 6th ASEAN Individual Championship with an entire round to spare.
Raahul has been a steady performer in the competitive chess circuit. Before reaching the pinnacle of becoming a Grandmaster, he was already an Asian junior champion. He attained his International Master (IM) title back in 2021 after securing necessary norms and crossing the 2400 mark in live ratings.
The massive achievement drew immediate praise from the national chess body. Nitin Narang, President of the All India Chess Federation (AICF), took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate Raahul. He wished the young master continued success in making "Bharat proud" with future milestones.
Raahul’s success highlights a flurry of recent activity in Indian chess, with new masters emerging rapidly. He follows closely on the heels of Illamparthi AR from Chennai, who became the 90th GM just a week prior after his performance at the Bijeljina Open in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before them, S Rohith Krishna became the 89th Grandmaster in August after a stellar showing at the Almaty Masters in Kazakhstan.
What does it take to be a Grandmaster?
For those wondering about the significance of this title, 'Grandmaster' is the highest standard ranking a chess player can achieve. It is awarded solely by FIDE, the global governing body for chess based in Switzerland.
It is an incredibly difficult journey to the top. To earn the title, a player generally needs to reach a FIDE rating of 2500 and earn three 'GM norms.' A 'norm' is a high-level performance benchmark in specifically qualified tournaments. It usually requires playing at least nine games, facing opponents from different countries, and defeating existing Grandmasters. Raahul VS has now successfully completed this complex journey, etching his name in Indian sporting history.
