3 min readUpdated: Mar 1, 2026 12:09 AM IST

Gone are the days when Viswanathan Anand was the only Indian with a Grandmaster title. Thirty-eight years after Anand became the first Indian Grandmaster, the list has now grown significantly, with the latest entrant being 17-year-old Aarav Dengla from Mumbai. The teenager became India’s 93rd GM after fulfilling the norms and rating criteria.

Dengla won his third and final GM norm and crossed the 2500 barrier by winning the GM Mix Bijeljina and GM Norm Round Robin Tournament consecutively in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He won his first GM norm at the 1st International Grandmaster Tournament Bijeljina back in 2022, while his second GM norm came at Zupanja Celebrates Chess GM Norm Round Robin in Croatia in 2025.