Srihari L R became the 86th Indian Grandmaster (GM) at the Asian Individual Men’s Chess Championship 2025 in Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi. He achieved the title after a draw against GM Pranesh M in the penultimate round, making the final round result irrelevant for the title.
Milestone Journey to GM Title
| GM Norm | Tournament | Location | Date |
| 1st GM norm | Six-Days Budapest GM A | Hungary | August 2023 |
| 2nd GM norm | Qatar Masters 2023 | Doha, Qatar | October 2023 |
| 3rd & Final GM norm | Asian Individual Chess Championship | Abu Dhabi | May 2025 |
- Crossed 2500 Elo rating: August 2024
- Took nearly 10 months after reaching 2500 Elo to get the final GM norm
About Elo Rating System
- Developed to measure the relative skill level of chess players.
- Elo 2500 + 3 GM norms are mandatory requirements to achieve the Grandmaster title as per FIDE regulations.
Historical Milestones in Indian Chess
| Title | Name | Year | Remark |
| First GM | Viswanathan Anand | 1988 | India’s chess pioneer |
| First Woman GM | Koneru Humpy | 2002 | Youngest female GM at 15 |
| First International Master | Manuel Aron | 1961 | First Indian IM |
| First Woman IM | Jayshree Khadikar | 1979 | Trailblazer for Indian women in chess |
| Current Women GMs | Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, R Vaishali | – | Leading Indian women in chess |
About FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs)
| Parameter | Details |
| Founded | 1924, Paris (France) |
| HQ | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Status | Recognised by the IOC (1999) as a Global Sporting Organization |
| Motto | “Gens una sumus” – “We are one family” |
| Role | Governs global chess: ranking, tournaments, rules, norms |
| Activities | Issues player rankings, regulates tournaments, connects national federations |
Importance of Srihari’s GM Title
- Highlights India’s growing dominance in world chess
- Reflects the strength of the Indian chess ecosystem with 86 Grandmasters and increasing
- Encourages young talents to aim for international recognition