17-year-old Aswath S from Tamil Nadu becomes India's 98th chess Grandmaster

Indian chess player Aswath S from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari has become the country's 98th Grandmaster. The 17-year-old achieved his final GM norm at the 2026 Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin tournament. He finished the tournament with seven points from nine rounds, recording six wins, two draws and one loss to secure second place.