86th Grandmaster of India | 20 May 2025

Why in News? 

 Srihari LR of Tamil Nadu became the 86th  Grandmaster (GM) of India at the Asian Individual Men’s Chess Championship 2025 in Al Ain, UAE. 

 Key Points 

  • Srihari LR’s Journey to the GM Title: 
    • Srihari earned his first GM norm at the Qatar Masters in 2023, and the second at the Chennai GM Open in 2024. 
    • He crossed the 2500 Elo rating in August 2024, but it took him almost 10 months to secure the final norm. 
      • The Elo rating system measures the relative strength of a player in some games, such as chess, compared to other players. 
  • Grandmasters of India: 
    • The first Indian Grandmaster was Vishwanathan Anand, achieving the title in 1988.  
    • The first Indian woman Grandmaster was Koneru Humpy, who achieved the title in 2002 at the age of 15, becoming the world's youngest female Grandmaster at the time.  
      • Currently, there are three women Grandmasters in India: Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R. Vaishali.  
    • The first Indian International Master was Manuel Aron in 1961, and the first Indian woman to achieve the International Master title was Jayshree Khadikar in 1979. 

 International Chess Federation (FIDE) 

  • About: 
    • FIDE is the global governing body for the sport of chess. 
    • It was founded in 1924 in Paris, France. 
    • Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. 
    • It oversees and regulates all international chess competitions. 
    • Established as a non-governmental institution, FIDE was officially recognized as a Global Sporting Organization by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1999. 
  • FIDE’s Motto: 
    • "Gens una sumus" – Latin for "We are one family", emphasizing unity in the global chess community. 
  • Core Activities of FIDE: 
    • Issues country rankings based on the average ratings of top 10 overall players and top 10 female players. 
    • Regulates rules, norms, and conduct of all international chess tournaments. 
    • Serves as a central platform linking national chess federations worldwide.