Overview

• He earned his final GM norm with a draw against P. Iniyan at the La Plagne International Chess Festival on July 12, officially becoming India’s 87th grandmaster.
• He captured his second norm at the Andujar Open in Spain after a sustained run of seven consecutive tournaments since May.
• He plans to contest three additional European events before returning to Chennai, maintaining his jet-setting approach to competition.
• He credits GM Shyamsundar Mohanraj and Chennai’s Chess Thulir academy for setting clear goals and guiding his development.
• Having secured the title, he will focus on reaching a 2600 Elo rating and experimenting with new playing styles in stronger international opens.