Data | India gets its 75th Grandmaster Premium

The number of GMs in the country has increased steadily since the early 2000s, with many youngsters joining the ranks

V. Pranav became India’s 75th GM on Sunday

With 16-year-old V. Pranav (in pic) achieving his final GM norm, India now has its 75th Grandmaster, 75 years after Independence. The number of GMs in the country has increased steadily since the early 2000s, with many youngsters joining the ranks. More than a third of India’s GMs are from Tamil Nadu. 

‘Thambi’ on top

With 27 GMs, Tamil Nadu has produced more than one-third of of India’s tally. Maharashtra (10) and West Bengal (9) are second and third among the States.

Chart appears incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

Masters on the rise

Since the early 2000s, the number of new GMs in India has increased steadily and in the last decade, sharply. The rate of addition slowed down somewhat during the pandemic years.

Younger, faster, stronger

The average age of new GMs has tended to decrease over time.

Number of GMs and top ratings

Not only is India among the top five countries with the most GMs, but its best players are also rated relatively high compared to the others (third behind Russia and the U.S.). *These are the registered GMs according to Fide. Those with full GM norms will be registered in the coming days.

Source: FIDE, All India Chess Federation