India continues its upward rise in chess. It earned its 79th Grandmaster on Thursday, with M Pranesh being the latest lad to earn the honour.
M Pranesh clinched the title during the Rilton Cup 2022, the maiden competition of the FIDE Circuit in Stockholm, as he became India's 79th chess Grandmaster (GM). The 16-year-old surpassed the 2,500-rating brink to become the GM, completing his three criteria before the Rilton Cup. To be a GM, a player must ensure three GM standards and overtake the live rating of 2,500 Elo points. Seeded 22nd, the Indian clean swept the field in Stockholm, winning eight matches and completing a whole point ahead of IM Kaan Kucuksari of Sweden and GM Nikita Meshkovs of Latvia, as the event ended late on Thursday.
Pranesh outperformed the standings with eight points. The Tamil Nadu lad topped the tournament's charts, bringing together 136 players representing 29 national federations. Compatriot R Raja Rithvik, also a GM, finished eighth with six points. Pranesh is now the premature commander of the FIDE Circuit with 6.8 circuit points that he earned for this triumph.
The person accumulating the most points by the year-end qualifies for the 2024 FIDE Candidates. Pranesh has been trained by renowned coach RB Ramesh, who voiced, "Pranesh is a convenient player. Hard-working, raw talent... his openings are not that good, but his middle-game and end-game skills are quite good."
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) also congratulated Pranesh. It articulated on social media: "Congratulations to Pranesh M for winning the Rilton Cup at Stockholm, the first tournament of the FIDE Circuit, and also becoming the 79th Grandmaster of the country!" Nineteen-year-old Koustav Chatterjee had newly become India's 78th GM during the National Senior Chess Championship 2022.
(With inputs from PTI)