Aditya Samant becomes India's 83rd Grandmaster at Biel Chess Festival

Aditya Samant, hailing from Maharashtra, achieved the title of India’s 83rd Grandmaster by obtaining his third GM norm during the Master Tournament (MTO) at the Biel International Chess Festival. His journey began with his first GM norm earned at the Abu Dhabi Masters in August 2022, followed by securing his second GM norm at the 3rd El Llobregat Open in December of the same year.

Samant’s Quest for GM Norm at BielChess MTO 2023 Tournament

Drawing his eighth-round game against Bu Xiangzhi, Samant needs to play just one more round, irrespective of the result, to achieve the GM norm. As he enters the ninth round, his live rating stands at 2525.4. Samant faced Aryan Chopra in the ninth-round match at the BielChess MTO 2023 tournament held in Switzerland.

Grandmaster (GM): The Highest Title in Chess Awarded by FIDE

The title of Grandmaster (GM) is bestowed upon chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. It is the highest title attainable for a chess player, second only to the World Champion title. To be awarded the Grandmaster title, a player must achieve a 2500 FIDE classical (or ‘standard’) rating and obtain three GM norms, as currently prescribed by FIDE.

The Biel Chess Festival 2023

From 17th to 27th July, the Biel Chess Festival 2023 took place in Biel, Switzerland, showcasing a 10-round Swiss tournament format. Competing players had 100 minutes for their initial 40 moves, followed by 15 minutes for the remaining part of the game, alongside a 30-second increment for each move right from the beginning.
Lê Quang Liêm emerged victorious as the champion, while Indian player Aryan Chopra secured an impressive third position in the tournament.