S. Aswath becomes India's 98th Chess Grandmaster

• S. Ashwath, a 17-year-old chess player from Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, achieved the distinction of becoming India's 98th Grandmaster on July 8, 2026.

• He accomplished this historic feat by securing his third and final Grandmaster norm at the Pune International Grandmaster Tournament held in July 2026.

• His success reflects the growing potential of emerging young talent in Indian chess and India's strong presence on the global stage.

• In the Pune International Grandmaster round-robin tournament, Ashwath secured second place by earning seven points across nine rounds.

• In the final round of the competition, he defeated USA's FM Kannan Vaidyanathan while playing with the black pieces.

• With this decisive victory, he completed his third and final Grandmaster norm and officially became India's 98th Grandmaster.