Representative image. Wilfredor, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
The result brings a new milestone for Indian chess and a reported first grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh. The round record also shows how an opening defeat was followed by an event-winning recovery.
Anuj Shrivatri won the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines on 8 November 2026, an achievement that All India Chess Federation president Nitin Narang said made him India’s 100th grandmaster, or GM. The Madhya Pradesh player finished with seven points from nine rounds after losing his opening game.
Narang described the Ozamiz City victory as earning a direct Grandmaster title, according to Indian Express. ChessBase India also reported the milestone and identified Shrivatri as Madhya Pradesh’s first grandmaster. The tournament’s published round-by-round record shows six wins, two draws and one defeat.
How Anuj Shrivatri recovered after the first round
The organiser’s results, uploaded by the Philippines Chess Federation on Chess-Results, place Shrivatri first. His first-round defeat came against International Master Christian Gian Karlo Arca of the Philippines. He then won three consecutive games, against Ganbat Tenguundalai, Dashzegve Sharavdorj and Viani Antonio Dcunha.
A draw against Erdene Baasansuren in round five was followed by a win against Alekhine Nouri. In round seven, Shrivatri drew with Vietnamese grandmaster Nguyen Duc Hoa. He completed the event with wins over Ameya Audi and James Morris in the final two rounds.
NewsPlainly’s calculation from those results gives six points from six wins and one point from two draws, making seven in total. After the opening loss, he scored seven of the eight available points. That explains the seven-from-eight comeback figure in ChessBase India’s report alongside the overall seven-from-nine tournament total.
The distinction matters when reading a score without its denominator. The eight-game figure describes his recovery after the first round. The nine-round figure covers the whole competition, including that defeat.
A direct title has a different qualifying route
Grandmaster, usually shortened to GM, is a title awarded under the rules of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Its title regulations allow both direct awards from specified competitions and a route based on qualifying tournament performances, called norms.
Under the norm route, the regulations require norms covering at least 27 games and a rating of at least 2,500 achieved at some point. A norm measures performance against a field that meets detailed conditions. A player’s rating and a single tournament’s performance rating are separate figures.
For an immediate direct GM award, section 0.6.2 specifies a minimum rating of 2,300, alongside the other applicable requirements. The direct-title route therefore has its own conditions. Narang’s description of Shrivatri’s achievement specifically referred to that route.
The tournament record lists Shrivatri’s entry rating as 2,450 and his performance rating as 2,586. These figures describe different measures and should be read with their labels. The performance figure reflects the event, while the entry rating identifies the number attached to him in its starting field.
From a junior podium to the 100-player milestone
Shrivatri’s earlier results provide a dated view of the journey. An official federation report on the National Under-13 Championship that ended in Ahmedabad on 30 July 2016 records him in third place with 8.5 points. He entered that event as the 36th seed.
| Year | Recorded milestone |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Third at the national under-13 championship |
| 2018 | FIDE Master title in his FIDE profile |
| 2020 | International Master title in his FIDE profile |
| 2026 | ASEAN Plus Open win and the reported GM milestone |
His official FIDE profile lists 2018 for the FIDE Master title and 2020 for International Master. It gives his birth year as 2004. The November list shows a standard rating of 2,450, with separate rapid and blitz ratings.
At the time checked for this report, that profile still displayed International Master. The 100th-grandmaster account is attributed to Narang’s statement and the same-day reporting. Readers following formal records can distinguish that announcement from the title currently displayed in the database.
ChessBase India said a fuller report and interview would follow its initial account. The immediate record establishes the tournament win and the comeback sequence. Further NewsPlainly coverage is available in the Sports section.
Frequently asked questions
How many points did Anuj Shrivatri score?
Seven from nine rounds, made up of six wins, two draws and one defeat.
Where did he win the tournament?
The 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship was held in Ozamiz City, Philippines.
Who called him India’s 100th grandmaster?
All India Chess Federation president Nitin Narang announced the milestone, as reported by Indian Express.