P Shyaamnikhil of Tamil Nadu becomes India’s 85th Chess Grandmaster

Tamil Nadu’s P Shyaamnikhil became India’s 85th chess Grandmaster(GM). The 31-year-old chess prodigy, who started his career at the age of eight, finally secured his third and final GM norms at the 2024 Dubai Police Masters Chess Tournament.  R Vaishali was the 84th Indian GM.

Before the start of the Dubai Police Master Chess Tournament, Shyaamnikhil needed just one win and eight draws to achieve the coveted GM title.

Shyaamnikhil had accumulated the required 2500 ELO rating points and two GM norms in 2012 itself . But he had to wait further 12 years to get the mandatory third GM norm to be accorded GM status. He finally achieved the third GM norm in the Dubai Police Masters Chess Tournament. 

About  P Shyaamnikhil 

P Shyaamnikhil was born in Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu in 1992  and he later shifted to Chennai to pursue his passion in chess.

He became the International Masters (IM) in 2011 and earned his first GM norm in the Mumbai Mayors Cup 2011. He earned his second GM norm in the Indian Championship. He completed the mandatory 2500 ELO rating in 2012 itself.

What is a Grandmaster or International Master in Chess

Grandmaster or International Masters is one of the many chess titles which is awarded by the world chess governing body FIDE. FIDE awards four titles to the men and women’s chess players around the world.It is a lifelong title and can be used by the chess players .

Grandmaster

Grandmaster is the highest title in chess, just below the world champion title. 

A male chess player must earn at least a FIDE 2500 Elo rating point in established classical or standard chess and three Grandmaster's norms in international competition.

For the women chess player the player has to earn a minimum FIDE 2300 ELO rating points and three women Grandmaster’s norm.

International Masters 

It is the second-highest chess title in the world after GM.

A male chess player must achieve an established classical or standard FIDE rating of 2400 Elo points and three international master norms in international competition.

For women, the requirement is 2200 Elo rating points and three women international Masters norms in international tournaments.

FIDE Master

A male chess player has to achieve FIDE Elo rating points of 2300 in international tournaments. There is no requirement for any norms. 

For the women players the requirement is FIDE Elo rating points of 2200 in international tournaments. There is no requirement for any norms.

Candidate Master

A male chess player has to achieve FIDE Elo rating points of 2200 in international tournaments. There is no requirement for any norms. 

For the women players the requirement is FIDE Elo rating points of 2100 in international tournaments. There is no requirement for any norms.

Chess Grandmaster of India

• Manuel Aaron was the first Indian chess player to get the International Master title in 1961.
• Vishwanathan Anand was the first Indian to become the Grandmaster in 1988.
• Jayshree Khadikar was the first Indian woman to get the Women International Master in 1979.
• Koneru Humpy was the first women Grandmaster of India. She is also the world’s youngest female player ever to become women GM, at the age of 15 years..
• There are three female Indian Grandmasters Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and R. Vaishali.

Elo Rating System 

• Elo rating was devised by an American physics professor and chess player, Arpad Elo. 
• The Elo rating system has been designed to rate the strength of a chess player. 
• The Elo rating system was officially adopted by FIDE in 1970.