Tamil Nadu’s Harikrishnan A. Ra. Becomes India’s 87th Chess Grandmaster.

In July 2025, Harikrishnan A. Ra., a 23-year-old chess player from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, achieved the prestigious Grandmaster (GM) title—India’s highest chess title—by securing his third and final GM norm at the La Plagne International Chess Festival in France. With this feat, he has become India’s 87th Grandmaster and the third GM from Tamil Nadu in the past two years.

      - Harikrishnan A. Ra. earned his third GM norm after a strategic draw in the ninth round against Indian Grandmaster D. Iniyan, which allowed him to secure a fourth-place finish overall at the La Plagne tournament.

      - This performance fulfilled the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE – International Chess Federation) criteria of three GM norms and a minimum Elo rating of 2500 points required to qualify as a Grandmaster.

      - His first GM norm was achieved at the Biel International Chess Festival in Switzerland in July 2023, followed by his second at the Lince Andújar Chess Open held in Spain in June 2025. Harikrishnan had previously been awarded the International Master (IM) title in 2018 and had achieved his first FIDE rating at the age of just 7, making him one of the youngest Indian players to do so at the time. He is currently trained under the guidance of GM R. B. Ramesh at Chess Gurukul Academy, Chennai.

Main Point :-   (i) The Grandmaster title is conferred by FIDE, the world governing body of chess headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. The FIDE rating norms must be fulfilled in internationally recognized events. The La Plagne International Chess Festival, where Harikrishnan achieved his final norm, is a FIDE-rated tournament attracting top global talent and is recognized by the All India Chess Federation (AICF) under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.

      (ii) Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur congratulated Harikrishnan, noting India’s growing chess talent globally. He also highlighted AICF’s recent efforts like scholarships, international coaching, and overseas tournament sponsorships to support rising players.

(iii) India now ranks among the top five nations globally in terms of active Grandmasters, with a surge in titles since 2020. Notably, Viswanathan Anand became India’s first Grandmaster in 1988, and Koneru Humpy was the first Indian woman to achieve the GM title in 2002. Harikrishnan’s accomplishment reflects the deep chess culture of Tamil Nadu, which has produced several top Indian GMs in recent years.