Srihari LR Joins Elite Club as India’s 86th Chess Grandmaster

A year after crowning its 85th Grandmaster, India has added another name to its elite chess roster. Nineteen-year-old Srihari LR has officially become the 86th Grandmaster of India after securing his final GM norm during the ongoing Asian Individual Men’s Chess Championship in Al-Ain.

Srihari clinched the title after facing fellow Indian GM Iniyan Paneerselvam in the ninth round. Although the game was still in progress, playing the match itself was enough to fulfill the final requirement for the GM title, as Srihari had already crossed the 2500 Elo rating mark in August 2024 and had achieved two previous GM norms—one at the Qatar Masters 2023 and another at the Chennai GM Open in 2024.

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Srihari is coached by Grandmaster Shyam Sundar at the Chess Thulir academy, which has produced other notable players like Pranav V. On Instagram, Sundar congratulated Srihari, writing, “It took nearly a year to get the final norm. Glad it happened now and time to focus on the next bigger goal!”

At the Al-Ain event, Srihari has gone unbeaten in eight rounds, with most of his games played against Grandmasters. He notably defeated Indian GMs Abhijeet Gupta and Pranav V, and held draws against top players like UAE’s AR Saleh Salem, China’s Xu Xiangyu, and FIDE’s Aleksey Grebnev.

India’s previous GM, Shyaamnikhil P, had earned the title on May 12, 2024. With Srihari’s achievement, India continues to strengthen its presence in the global chess arena.