With 16-year-old V. Pranav (in pic) achieving his final GM norm, India now has its 75th Grandmaster, 75 years after Independence. The number of GMs in the country has increased steadily since the early 2000s, with many youngsters joining the ranks. More than a third of India’s GMs are from Tamil Nadu.
‘Thambi’ on top
With 27 GMs, Tamil Nadu has produced more than one-third of of India’s tally. Maharashtra (10) and West Bengal (9) are second and third among the States.
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Masters on the rise
Since the early 2000s, the number of new GMs in India has increased steadily and in the last decade, sharply. The rate of addition slowed down somewhat during the pandemic years.
Younger, faster, stronger
The average age of new GMs has tended to decrease over time.
Number of GMs and top ratings
Not only is India among the top five countries with the most GMs, but its best players are also rated relatively high compared to the others (third behind Russia and the U.S.). *These are the registered GMs according to Fide. Those with full GM norms will be registered in the coming days.
Source: FIDE, All India Chess Federation
Also read: Data | Young and Restless: More Indian GMs among juniors
