As India gets 94th GM, Tharoor calls nation’s chess journey ‘Grandmasterclass’

Shashi Tharoor called India's chess journey 'nothing short of a Grandmasterclass' after Assamese teenager Mayank Chakraborty became the country's 94th GM.

Tharoor recollected his student days when India did not have a single GM in chess and wondered at the might of giants such as Russia and the US.

"The breakthrough, which felt unbelievable then, came in 1988 when Vishy Anand became India’s first GM at the age of 18," the Congress MP posted on X.

"Fast forward to today, and India is now the fastest-growing stable for elite talent, accounting for nearly 5% of the world’s total GM population."

Tharoor rightly acknowledged India as a chess superpower now, evident from having a men's world chess champion in D Gukesh, and a regular presence in the top 10.

"From a time when we had none to a time when we have 94 and are "the" force to be reckoned with, the journey has been nothing short of a Grandmasterclass. The 100th GM is now just a few moves away!" Tharoor posted.

Chakraborty, 17, hailing from Guwahati, is the first GM from India's north-east region. He became an International Masters in 2024.