CM Mohan Yadav Hails Anuj Shrivatri as India's 100th Grandmaster
Synopsis
Anuj Shrivatri from Katni, Madhya Pradesh, clinched the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines, becoming Madhya Pradesh's first Grandmaster and India's historic 100th. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav congratulated him on X, calling it a proud moment for the state.
Key Takeaways
Anuj Shrivatri of Katni, Madhya Pradesh won the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship held in the Philippines .
Shrivatri is now Madhya Pradesh's first-ever chess Grandmaster and India's 100th Grandmaster .
India's first Grandmaster was Viswanathan Anand , who earned the title in 1988 — making this a 38-year journey to the centenary milestone.
Mohan Yadav publicly congratulated Shrivatri on November 10, 2026 , calling it a proud moment for Madhya Pradesh.
The achievement highlights India's expanding chess talent pool beyond traditional strongholds to states like Madhya Pradesh.
A chess player from the heartland of central India just etched his name into the country's sporting history. Anuj Shrivatri of Katni, Madhya Pradesh, has won the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines — and in doing so, became both Madhya Pradesh's first-ever Grandmaster and India's landmark 100th Grandmaster.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav was quick to acknowledge the milestone on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, posting on X: 'A PROUD MOMENT FOR MADHYA PRADESH!' He extended 'heartiest congratulations' to Shrivatri and tagged the moment with #100thGrandmaster, signalling just how significant the achievement is in India's chess narrative.
From Katni to the Philippines: Shrivatri's Grandmaster-Clinching Win
The ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship brought together top players from across the region, and Shrivatri rose above the field to claim the title. The 'GM norm' system — the global benchmark set by FIDE, chess's international governing body — requires players to achieve a series of elite-level performance ratings before the Grandmaster title is officially conferred. Winning at this level in the Philippines was the definitive stamp on Shrivatri's journey.
Katni, an industrial city in eastern Madhya Pradesh, is not traditionally associated with high-performance chess — which makes the achievement all the sharper. Shrivatri's rise is a reminder that India's chess surge is no longer a story confined to metro academies.
The 100th: A Number That Puts India's Chess Rise in Focus
India's first Grandmaster was Viswanathan Anand, who earned the title in 1988 and went on to become a five-time World Champion. For nearly four decades since, India has built relentlessly — through grassroots tournaments, state academies, and a generation of young players inspired by Anand's legacy. Reaching the 100th Grandmaster milestone is the clearest proof yet that the pipeline is working at scale.
That the 100th should come from Madhya Pradesh — a state not historically at the top of India's chess map — adds a layer of significance. It suggests the sport's roots are spreading well beyond traditional strongholds like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Delhi.
What Shrivatri's Title Means for Madhya Pradesh Sports
Chief Minister Yadav's public congratulation carries weight beyond ceremonial courtesy. State governments in India have increasingly used such milestones to anchor sports-infrastructure announcements — dedicated chess coaching centres, scholarship programmes, or state-ranking tournaments. Whether Madhya Pradesh moves in that direction will be worth watching. For now, Anuj Shrivatri returns home as the benchmark every young chess player in the state will measure themselves against.
India began its Grandmaster journey with one trailblazer in 1988. It took 38 years to reach a hundred. The centenary belongs to a boy from Katni — and that is a story worth remembering.
Point of View
Not just the metropolitan academies that once dominated the pipeline. Chief Minister Yadav's prompt public acknowledgement reflects a well-established BJP state-government playbook of claiming sports milestones as governance wins — building a narrative of regional pride around individual excellence. The real policy test will be whether the congratulation translates into structural investment: coaching infrastructure, scholarships, or FIDE-rated tournaments hosted in Madhya Pradesh. At the national level, reaching 100 Grandmasters signals that India's post-Anand chess investment has reached critical mass, positioning the country as a genuine depth-of-talent rival to traditional powerhouses in the lead-up to future Olympiads.
NationPress
10 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anuj Shrivatri?
Anuj Shrivatri is a chess player from Katni, Madhya Pradesh, who won the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines to become Madhya Pradesh's first chess Grandmaster and India's 100th Grandmaster.
Who is India's 100th Grandmaster in chess?
Anuj Shrivatri of Katni, Madhya Pradesh, is India's 100th chess Grandmaster, earning the title by winning the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines in 2026.
Who was India's first chess Grandmaster?
Viswanathan Anand became India's first chess Grandmaster in 1988, going on to win the World Chess Championship five times and inspiring generations of Indian players.
What is the ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship?
The ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship is a FIDE-rated international chess tournament associated with the ASEAN regional bloc. The 7th edition was held in the Philippines and was won by India's Anuj Shrivatri.
Why did CM Mohan Yadav congratulate Anuj Shrivatri?
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav congratulated Anuj Shrivatri because Shrivatri became the first player from Madhya Pradesh to earn the chess Grandmaster title, as well as India's historic 100th Grandmaster.
