CM Bhajan Lal Hails Anuj Srivastava as India's 100th Chess GM
Synopsis
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma congratulated Anuj Srivastava on becoming India's 100th chess Grandmaster on November 10, 2026, calling it a golden achievement on the global chessboard and a source of inspiration for the country's youth.
Key Takeaways
Anuj Srivastava has been recognised as India's 100th chess Grandmaster , a historic national milestone.
Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma posted a formal congratulatory message on November 10, 2026 .
India's chess GM journey began in 1988 when Viswanathan Anand became the country's first Grandmaster.
Reaching 100 Grandmasters reflects decades of growth in private academies, online platforms, and state-level tournaments.
CM Sharma expressed hope that Srivastava's achievement will inspire young Indian players to pursue the game at the highest level.
India crossed a landmark it has been building toward for nearly four decades — 100 chess Grandmasters. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma took to X on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 to congratulate Anuj Srivastava on becoming the nation's 100th Grandmaster, calling the milestone a proud testament to Indian talent, dedication, and the new generation's rising passion for the game.
Writing in Hindi, CM Sharma said: 'शतरंज के वैश्विक पटल पर भारत ने एक और स्वर्णिम उपलब्धि अपने नाम की है' — 'India has claimed yet another golden achievement on the global chessboard.' He expressed hope that Srivastava's success would inspire young players across the country to dream bigger and turn those dreams into reality.
From Anand's Lone Title to a Century of Grandmasters
The road here starts in 1988, when Viswanathan Anand became India's first chess Grandmaster — a solitary title that felt, at the time, like an outlier rather than an opening act. What followed was a slow, then accelerating climb: a handful of GMs through the 1990s, a sharper surge in the 2000s and 2010s as private academies multiplied, online training platforms democratised access, and state-level tournaments gave young players a competitive ladder to climb. The ecosystem that produced Anand also produced the infrastructure to replicate him — dozens of times over. Reaching 100 Grandmasters is not just an arithmetic milestone. It signals that Indian chess has moved from producing exceptional individuals to building a genuine pipeline — the kind that sustains a country's presence at FIDE's top tables for generations.What Srivastava's Title Means for Indian Chess
Becoming a Grandmaster requires clearing three FIDE norms at international tournaments and crossing the 2500 Elo rating threshold — a bar that demands consistent excellence against elite opposition. The fact that India can now count 100 players who have cleared it reflects broad, structural growth in participation, not a one-off spike. Grassroots tournaments, state chess associations, and a culture of early specialisation have all played a role. CM Sharma's message specifically highlighted the country's youth: 'Your success will inspire young players of the country to dream new dreams and work to realise them.' It is a note that resonates — many of India's recent Grandmasters earned their titles as teenagers, compressing what once took a career into a few formative years. With India's chess programme now a century of GMs strong, the next question the world will ask is not whether India can produce elite players — but how many world champions it will produce next.Point of View
Not a sudden surge. For state leaders like CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, amplifying such milestones serves a dual purpose: aligning the BJP's governance narrative with national pride in individual excellence, and signalling investment in youth aspiration. The congratulatory pattern from state CMs around chess milestones reflects a broader political awareness that individual-sport achievements carry outsized symbolic weight with middle-class and aspirational audiences. If Rajasthan follows up with concrete chess infrastructure announcements, the statement moves from symbolic to substantive.
NationPress
10 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is India's 100th chess Grandmaster?
Anuj Srivastava has been congratulated as India's 100th chess Grandmaster , with Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma among the public figures to mark the achievement on November 10, 2026 .
Who was India's first chess Grandmaster?
Viswanathan Anand became India's first chess Grandmaster in 1988 , laying the foundation for the country's rise as a global chess powerhouse.
What does it take to become a chess Grandmaster?
A player must achieve three FIDE Grandmaster norms in international tournaments and maintain a rating of at least 2500 Elo to earn the Grandmaster title from FIDE.
Why has India produced so many chess Grandmasters?
India's growth in chess Grandmasters is driven by private coaching academies, online training platforms, a strong culture of early specialisation, and an expanding network of state-level competitive tournaments.
What did Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma say about Anuj Srivastava?
CM Sharma called the milestone a 'golden achievement on the global chessboard,' extended heartfelt congratulations to Srivastava, and expressed hope that the achievement would inspire young Indian players to dream new dreams and realise them.
