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Raahul VS has officially become India’s 91st Grandmaster after winning the 6th ASEAN Individual Championship with a round to spare on Friday.

The 21-year-old’s achievement continues India’s remarkable rise in world chess, coming just a week after Illamparthi AR became the country’s 90th Grandmaster.

Raahul, who had earned his International Master (IM) title in November 2021 after achieving his fourth and fifth IM norms and crossing the 2400 rating threshold, sealed his Grandmaster status with consistent performances across international tournaments this year.

His latest triumph at the ASEAN event confirmed his final GM norm and underlined his growing reputation as one of India’s most promising young players.

Raahul follows in the footsteps of S Rohith Krishna, who became India’s 89th GM in August after securing his final norm at the Almaty Masters Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan, and Illamparthi AR, who achieved the milestone at the Bijeljina Open 2025 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Tamil Nadu continues to be India’s strongest chess-producing state, contributing 35 of the nation’s 91 Grandmasters.

Becoming a Grandmaster, the highest title awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), requires fulfilling strict criteria: earning three GM norms across at least 27 games and reaching a FIDE rating of 2500 or above.

Each norm demands an exceptional tournament performance, typically a rating of 2600 or higher against a strong international field.

Raahul’s achievement reinforces India’s growing dominance in the global chess arena, with an increasing number of young players consistently making breakthroughs on the international stage.

His success also highlights the country’s robust developmental structure and expanding pool of elite talent.