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India's 98th Grandmaster: Kanyakumari player Aswath makes history

News18•20-10-2026, 20:39

•Young chess player Aswath from Kanyakumari district has achieved the milestone of becoming India's 98th Grandmaster and Tamil Nadu's 38th Grandmaster.
•He has also earned the distinction of being Kanyakumari district's very first Grandmaster.
•Starting to play chess at the age of 3, Aswath won the Under-7 state championship with a perfect score of 9 out of 9.
•He won the national Under-15 tournament in 2022, earned the International Master title in 2023, and secured his three Grandmaster norms in Germany, Hungary, and Pune.
•Excelling in academics as well, he scored 94.2 percent in his tenth grade and currently aims to reach a 2600 rating and win the World Championship.

Aswath secured his three Grandmaster norms by winning tournaments held in Germany, Hungary, and Pune.

Showing excellence in both sports and academics, Aswath scored 471 out of 500 marks, achieving 94.2 percent in his tenth-grade exams.

Currently holding a rating of 2540, Aswath aims to reach a 2600 rating and win the World Championship in the future.