Anuj Shrivatri officially became India's 100th Grandmaster, making history after he won the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship on Sunday.

He clinched the GM title and won the tournament after securing seven points from the last eight matches he played, after starting with a loss in the opening round. Anuj's victory turned out to be a landmark moment in Indian chess history.

India has been on the rise in the Global Chess realm, with Grandmasters such as R Praggnanandhaa, R Vaishali, Koneru Humpy, Arjun Erigaisi, among others continuing to make waves in various overseas tournaments. D Gukesh, in particular, is the reigning world champion and will defend his title against Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov this year.

Anuj's victory and receiving the GM title is being observed as a major milestone in Indian chess.

Who is Anuj Shrivatri?

Born on July 21, 2004, Anuj hails from Katni, Madhya Pradesh and began playing chess at age seven, according to Khel Now. Some of his major accomplishments include a third-place finish at the National U13 Championship and finishing fourth at the World Youth U14 Championships.

Anuj steadily delivered results in open tournaments and became an FM in 2018 and received the IM title at 15 years and 31 days old, making him the youngest IM from Madhya Pradesh and Central India, with FIDE formally approving the title in 2020.

The chess player from MP announced himself at the 2018 Stiges Open in Spain, where he was tied for second place but ended up being third after the application of tie-breaks.

In 2022, Anuj finished third at the 3rd Gujarat International GM Open with 8.5/10. He won six games on the trot in the closing rounds, winning INR 1.5 lakh.

Last year, he finished as runner-up at the 2nd Namma Bengaluru GM with 8/10, finishing at level with winner Levan Pantsulaia and Alexei Fedorov.

PM Modi hails Anuj's historic achievement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Anuj's achievement after he became India's 100th Chess Grandmaster, calling it a proud and historic milestone for Indian chess.

He said the feat reflects the talent, dedication, and hard work of Indian players and highlights the growing popularity of chess among the country's youth.

"Congratulations to Anuj Shrivatri on becoming India’s 100th Chess Grandmaster! What a wonderful achievement it is. India reaching 100 Grandmasters is a remarkable milestone that reflects the immense talent, dedication and hard work of our players as well as the growing popularity of chess among our youth," PM Modi wrote on 'X'.

Anuj's historic win and securing the GM title would inspire more youngsters to take up chess and strive for excellence.