Bengaluru teen Pranav Anand is India's 76th Chess Grandmaster

India has earned another Chess Grandmaster. Pranav Anand from Bengaluru has become India's 76th GM, surpassing the 2,500 Elo mark in Romania's World Youth Chess Championship 2022.

Bengaluru teen Pranav Anand has become India's 76th Grandmaster. He crossed the 2,500 Elo mark in the 2022 World Youth Chess Championship currently happening in Mamaia, Romania. The 15-year-old achieved the honour on Thursday, having already fulfilled the other requirements required for a GM title. To become a GM, a player must secure three GM norms and surpass the live rating of 2,500 Elo points. In July, Anand attained the third and final GM norm during Switzerland's 55th Biel Chess Festival.

"He is passionate about chess. Extremely interested and passionate about the game. He can work for any number of hours. He is outstanding in calculation and end games...they are his two biggest strengths right now," Anand's coach V Saravanan briefed PTI.

"Also, the most important reason for Pranav's achievement is the dedication of his family, his mother, father...They have spent so much time on and supported him. Pranav could have become a GM at least a year ago if the pandemic was not there. He is one of the most talented kids I have ever come across," added Saravanan.

Anand secured his third and final GM norm as he drew his game against number five GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli (2619) of Spain in Biel during the penultimate round. He had also defeated French GM Maxime Lagarde (2631), GM Sethuraman SP (2623), and drew GM Aryan Chopra (2610) and Armenian GM Shant Sargsyan (2661) at the event. His opening couple of GM norms came in the Sitges Open (January 2022) and Vezerkepso GM Round Robin (March 2022) competitions.

(With inputs from PTI)