Srihari LR Becomes India’s 86th Chess Grandmaster

India has earned its 86th chess Grandmaster, as 19-year-old Srihari LR from Chennai secured his third and final Grandmaster norm at the Asian Individual Men’s Chess Championship held in Al-Ain, UAE. With this feat, India continues to solidify its status as a rising chess powerhouse.

Why in News?

Srihari LR’s confirmation as a Grandmaster comes 368 days after India’s 85th GM title was achieved by Shyaamnikhil P. His achievement marks a significant milestone in Indian chess and reflects the consistent grooming of young talent in the country.

Background & Journey

• Srihari LR hails from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• He is trained at Chess Thulir Academy, under the mentorship of GM Shyamsundar.

He earned

• First GM norm at Qatar Masters 2023
• Second GM norm at Chennai GM Open 2024
• Third GM norm at Asian Individual Championship 2025 (Al-Ain, UAE)
• Crossed the mandatory 2500 Elo rating in August 2024.

Al-Ain Championship Performance

• Faced 8 Grandmasters in 9 rounds.
• Remained unbeaten in the first 8 rounds.
• Beat GMs like Abhijeet Gupta and Pranav V.

Drew against top GMs including,

• AR Saleh Salem (UAE)
• Xu Xiangyu (China)
• Aleksey Grebnev (FIDE)

Coaching & Mentorship

• His coach, Shyamsundar, has also mentored Pranav V, the current World Junior Champion.
• This makes Srihari the 2nd player from Chess Thulir to become a Grandmaster.

Significance

• India now has 86 Grandmasters.
• The journey from the 1st GM Viswanathan Anand (1988) to today shows remarkable growth:
• 1988–2013: 35 GMs in 25 years.
• 2013–2025: 51 GMs in just 12 years.
• Reflects the rising dominance of India in global chess.

Summary/Static	Details
Why in the news?	Srihari LR Becomes India’s 86th Chess Grandmaster
Player	Srihari LR
Age	19
Hometown	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Title Earned	Grandmaster (GM)
Event	Asian Individual Men’s Chess Championship
Final Norm Achieved	Against GM Iniyan Paneerselvam
Coach	GM Shyamsundar (Chess Thulir Academy)
India’s GM Count (Post Srihari)	86