Goan teenager Leon Mendonca on Thursday became India's 67th Grandmaster (GM), achieving his third GM norm in three months.
Mendonca, 14, was stranded in Europe with his father in March due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, played 16 tournaments in three months, this improving his Elo rating by 140 points.
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) acknowledged the development. Leon was the second Indian to become GM in 2020 after G Akash.
He achieved his first GM norm at the Rigo Chess GM Round Robin in October while the second came in Budapest in November. His final GM norm came at the Vergani Cup in Italy that ended on Wednesday.
"A lot of people have been responsible for me reaching here. I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart. The Almighty for his countless blessings, my parents and sister," Leon told Chessbase.in
