A Ra Harikrishnan Becomes India’s 87th Chess Grandmaster

A Ra Harikrishnan, a rising star in Indian chess, has officially become India’s 87th Grandmaster (GM), marking a significant personal and national milestone in the sport. The 24-year-old chess professional from Chennai secured his third and final GM norm at the prestigious La Plagne International Chess Festival held in France on Friday, completing the final requirement to earn the coveted title. His Grandmaster journey began in July 2023, when he earned his first GM norm at the Biel International Chess Festival in Switzerland, a tournament known for hosting elite global talent. Harikrishnan continued his impressive form by claiming his second GM norm just last month at the Andujar Open in Spain.

In the world of chess, the title of Grandmaster (GM) is the highest title awarded by the FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs or International Chess Federation), and achieving it is a hallmark of consistent, top-tier performance. To qualify, a player must typically fulfill two key conditions: earn three GM norms—which are high-level performances in international tournaments that meet strict rating and opponent criteria—and reach a minimum FIDE rating of 2500 at any point in their career. A GM norm, in simpler terms, is a benchmark performance score, demonstrating that a player has competed and succeeded against opponents of sufficiently high strength over a given number of games.

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