Anuj Shrivatri becomes India’s 100th Grandmaster after winning the ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in Ozamiz City, Philippines. Multiple outlets report that he earns the GM title directly through the tournament, with NDTV and The Hindu highlighting he is the first Grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh. Times of India adds that the milestone follows a “rocky start,” with Shrivatri finishing the event with seven points.
Coverage also frames the achievement as part of India’s wider chess growth. The Hindu describes the “hundredth GM milestone” as underlining remarkable progress and notes that Tamil Nadu leads India’s Grandmasters tally at 38%. The Times of India places greater emphasis on the broader system around chess careers, mentioning limited sponsorship and support and noting that some players manage ratings. NDTV and The Hindu also include praise from Viswanathan Anand, who congratulates Shrivatri.
Across reports, the central emphasis is Shrivatri’s personal choice to pursue chess over an engineering job. The Hindu and India Today foreground his background and decision to quit software work, while other outlets focus more on tournament details and the national milestone.
