A century in the making — and it arrived on a chessboard in the Philippines. Anuj Shrivatri clinched the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship and, in doing so, etched his name into Indian sporting history as the country's 100th Grandmaster. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was among the first to salute the moment, calling it 'a proud milestone for Indian chess.'

From Manila to the history books

Shrivatri's title-winning performance at the ASEAN Plus Individual Open, held in the Philippines, was the final step in a rigorous FIDE qualification process that every grandmaster must complete — earning the required performance ratings across norm tournaments before the title is formally conferred. Winning a competitive regional open championship as the clinching moment underscores just how hard-fought the distinction is.

CM Fadnavis posted his congratulations on 9 November 2026, writing: 'India Welcomes Its 100th Grandmaster! Heartiest congratulations to Anuj Shrivatri on winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines and becoming India's 100th Grandmaster!'

Thirty-eight years from Anand to Shrivatri

The number 100 carries enormous weight because of where the story began. Viswanathan Anand became India's first Grandmaster in 1988 — a solitary pioneer at a time when chess infrastructure in the country was minimal. The road from one to one hundred took nearly four decades of expanding coaching networks, scholastic tournaments, state academies, and a generation of young players who grew up watching Anand win World Championships.

That steady accumulation — accelerating sharply through the 2010s and into the 2020s — reflects a structural deepening of the sport rather than a single policy push. India now fields grandmasters from multiple states, age groups, and economic backgrounds, a breadth that was unthinkable when Anand first earned the title.

What the milestone signals for Indian chess

Reaching 100 grandmasters places India among the most prolific producers of elite chess talent in the world. The pipeline shows no sign of narrowing: younger Indian players continue to earn international norms at an accelerating pace, and the country's performance in team olympiads has risen in parallel. Shrivatri's achievement is both a personal summit and a signpost — the next hundred, many believe, will arrive faster than the first.

For now, the chess community has its number to celebrate. Anuj Shrivatri, champion in the Philippines, grandmaster number one hundred.