India’s Aswath S Becomes the Country’s 98th Chess Grandmaster
Seventeen-year-old Aswath S from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, has become India’s 98th Chess Grandmaster, bringing the nation one step closer to the historic milestone of 100 Grandmasters.
The talented youngster secured his final Grandmaster norm at the 2026 Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin by defeating USA’s FM Kannan Vaidyanathan with the black pieces in the final round. Entering the last game needing a victory, Aswath delivered a composed performance to achieve the biggest milestone of his chess career.
He finished the tournament with 7 points from nine rounds, recording six wins, two draws, and one defeat, which earned him second place in the standings.
Aswath’s journey to the prestigious title began with his first GM norm at the Grenke Open last year. He earned his second norm at the First Saturday GM Round Robin in Budapest in December, where he also crossed the coveted 2500 FIDE rating mark.
Despite suffering an early setback in Pune, including a loss to Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta, the teenager bounced back strongly with a series of impressive performances to secure his final norm.
With Aswath S joining the elite list of Indian Grandmasters, India continues to strengthen its position as one of the world's leading chess nations. His achievement also reflects the growing depth of young chess talent emerging from the country.
