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Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Chennai engineering student is 89th from India to reach the mark
Chennai engineering student is 89th from India to reach the mark CHENNAI: A new grandmaster from Tamil Nadu has almost become a trend, but there's something striking about S Rohith Krishna. The 20-year-old Chennai boy secured all three norms — the first in March, the second in May, and the final at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan on Tuesday — in a space of six months. Rohith is now India's 89th Grandmaster and the 33rd from Tamil Nadu. His tryst with chess began at the age of eight, when his veterinarian mother offered him a choice between chess and drawing. He picked chess, and there has been no looking back. In his early years, Rohith defeated some of the top talents, including world champion D Gukesh. While his chess friends zoomed ahead, Rohith, who became an IM in 2022, slowed his rating climb to focus on academics. He is currently in the third year of an engineering degree at SSN College of Engineering. Talking to TOI, Rohith's coach K Visweswaran said: 'Rohith defeated the likes of Gukesh and other top players when he was a kid, but he couldn't rise further because he wanted to focus on his studies and balance both. He studied in a CBSE school and always scored 90-plus. He wants to be an allrounder; a good engineer and a good chess player. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Foods That Help In Healing Knee Pain Naturally Undo 'It may seem like he achieved his norms quickly, many years of effort went into it. There were many moments of internal panic. He always had the ability to make a he not focused so much on academics, this could have happened last year. He has been a Grandmaster in the making for years.' After a string of strong performances, Rohith's immediate goal is to cross the 2600 barrier in FIDE rating. 'Instead of chasing the final norm, I decided to focus on preparation and improving my game. I was sure I would become a Grandmaster; it was just a matter of time, so I wanted to strengthen my overall play. In Almaty Masters, I needed a win in the final round and I went in with an open mind, knowing anything could happen. I feel relieved and happy after achieving this milestone,' Rohith told TOI from Abu Dhabi. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Rohith Krishna S becomes India's 89th Grandmaster
Rohith Krishna S on Tuesday became India's 89th Grandmaster after he made his final GM norm at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan where he scored 6/9 and also surpassed 2500 Elo ratings mark. To grab the honour, he defeated International Master Artur Davtyan in the final round. The youngster is coached by Last month, Divya Deshmukh had become India's 88th Grandmaster after she won the FIDE Women's World Cup by defeating the veteran Koneru Humpy in the final via the tiebreakers. Divya winning the Women's World Cup also makes her eligible to be India's fourth woman to become a grandmaster, which is significant because before the event started, she had none of the three norms required for it. But in one fell swoop, thanks to a regulation in the FIDE rules, Divya bypassed the criterion to earn three norms and became a grandmaster as well. Grandmaster is the highest title or ranking that a chess player can achieve. It is awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE, from its French acronym Fédération Internationale des Échecs), the global governing body headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. Among the hierarchy of chess titles that include International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM), Candidate Master (CM), and their female-specific counterparts (WGM, WIM, WFM, WCM), the Grandmaster title stands as the most prestigious and challenging to obtain. Earning a GM norm in chess is a challenging process governed by strict FIDE regulations. Typically, a player must compete in a tournament of at least nine games, though exceptions exist for shorter events, such as seven-game norms in World or Continental Team Championships and eight-game norms in the World Cup or Women's World Championship. To achieve a GM norm, a player must perform at a high level, achieving a tournament performance rating (TPR) of at least 2600. The competition must also include a strong field where at least 33% of the opponents must hold the GM title, and players from at least three different federations must participate. Some tournaments are specifically organised to help players secure norms by ensuring these conditions are met. Ultimately, earning the full GM title requires three such norms across a minimum of 27 games, along with achieving a FIDE rating of 2500 at some point.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Rohith Krishna becomes India's 89th GM
Rohith Krishna S. has always been bright in academics, but that pursuit he felt slowed down the pace of him becoming a chess Grandmaster. However, on Tuesday, he was on top of the world when he became the 89th Indian GM. He did that with a victory over IM Artur Davtyan of Romania in the final round of the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan to secure six points out of nine. The 19-year-old, a third-year engineering student in Chennai, knows that his journey has just begun. Speaking to The Hindu from Dubai, where he will be taking part in the Abu Dhabi International tournament beginning August 15, Rohith said: 'Finally, achieving the dream of becoming a Grandmaster — one I have pursued since 2013 — has brought me immense relief and joy. 'I will always remember my friends, family, and mentors who stood by me in difficult times, encouraging me never to give up. This is not the end — it is just the beginning of a longer journey ahead.' Rohith acknowledged the support of his school and college (Sunshine, Velachery, and SSN) — that made the path to become a GM relatively smooth. 'At times, I felt the pressure of not achieving the Grandmaster title as quickly as I expected, as balancing academics and chess was never easy. However, the support of The Sunshine School and SSN College kept me motivated to excel in both fields,' he said while thanking the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu for its financial assistance.. K. Visweswaran, head coach of Kameswaran Chess Academy, Chennai, and one who has been training Rohith since 2019, said his ward wanted to achieve excellence in academics and chess, and it was a conscious decision. 'He invested two years for school (Std. XI and XII) and one year in College (SSN) to get accustomed to the environment. Rohith looks at life holistically,' said the coach. According to Visweswaran, 'Rohith is a diligent and a patient player. He is tactically sharp and quick to capitalise on the opponent's mistakes. Now with the GM pressure off his back, he can go for tournament wins.'
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
S. Rohit Krishna becomes India's 89th Grand Master
S. Rohith Krishna has always been a bright student of academics. However, Rohith felt that his pursuit of excellence in academics slowed down the pace of his becoming a chess Grandmaster. When he became the 89th Indian Grandmaster at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), with a victory over IM Artur Davtyan of Romania in the final round, securing six points out of nine, he was on top of the world. The 19-year-old, a third year student of SSN College of Engineering, knows that his journey has just begun. Speaking to The Hindu from Dubai, where he is taking part in the Abu Dhabi International tournament beginning August 15, Rohith said: 'Finally, achieving the dream of becoming a Grandmaster—one I have pursued since 2013—has brought me immense relief and joy. I will always remember my friends, family, and mentors who stood by me in difficult times, encouraging me never to give up. This is not the end—it is just the beginning of a longer journey ahead.' Rohith acknowledged the support of his school—Sunshine (Velachery), and College—SSN College, that made the path to becoming a Grand Master relatively smooth. 'At times, I felt the pressure of not achieving the Grandmaster title as quickly as I expected, as balancing academics and chess was never easy. However, the support of The Sunshine School and SSN College kept me motivated to excel in both fields,' he emphasised while thanking the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu for its financial assistance. K. Visweswaran, head coach of Kameswaran Chess Academy (Chennai), and one who has been training with Rohith closely since 2019, said his ward wanted to achieve excellence in academics and chess, and it was a conscious decision. 'He remains a very good student. He invested two years for school (Std. XI and XII) and one year in College (SSN) to get accustomed to the environment. Rohith looks at life holistically,' said the coach. According to his coach, 'Rohith is a diligent and a patient player. He is more or less like former England cricketer David Gower, elegant and positive. Like Gower, he is always ready to punish loose balls. He is tactically sharp and quick to capitalise on the opponent's mistakes. Now with the GM pressure off his back, he can go for tournament wins.' After becoming an International Master in 2022, Rohith earned his maiden GM-norm by winning the Hotel Stockholm North GM round-robin tournament in March 2025 and he got his second norm in the 2025 Dubai Open in May. It's time to witness a new and revitalised Rohith.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Chess: Rohith Krishna S becomes India's 89th Grandmaster; secures third and final GM norm at Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup
Rohith Krishna S has become India's 89th Grandmaster (Image via X/@ChessbaseIndia) Rohith Krishna S has become India's 89th Grandmaster (GM) after securing his third and final GM norm at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The 20-year-old sealed the feat with a victory over Armenian International Master Artur Davtyan in the final round, finishing the tournament with six points out of nine. His performance also saw him cross the 2500 Elo rating mark, completing the requirements for the Grandmaster title. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Rohith, who is coached by K. Visweswaran, began his journey towards the title earlier this year. He achieved his maiden GM norm by winning the Hotel Stockholm North GM Round-Robin tournament in March, followed by his second norm at the Dubai Open in June. He has been an International Master (IM) since 2022. Shortly priot to the 20-year-old's feat, Divya Deshmukh became the 88th Grandmaster last month with her landmark win at the FIDE World Cup. Last month, 19-year-old Divya scripted history by winning the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, defeating India No. 1 and reigning World Rapid champion Koneru Humpy in the rapid tiebreaks of the final. Poll Who do you believe has had a greater impact on Indian chess? Rohith Krishna S Divya Deshmukh Neither, the focus should be on training Entering as the 15th seed, she produced a remarkable run, toppling several of the world's strongest players before clinching the title. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
