India is witnessing a growth in Grandmasters in chess, with 35 GM titles awarded since the 2020's. Two Indian teenagers D Gukesh and R Pragganandhaa were among the youngest grandmasters in the history of chess. Both earned their Grandmaster (GM) titles well before their 13th birthdays. Let us explore the list of the 10 youngest grandmasters of India in the lines below.
What Does "Grandmaster" Mean in Chess?
Grandmaster is the highest title awarded to a chess player by FIDE, or the World Chess Federation. To achieve a GM title, a player has to cross the 2500 rating threshold and obtain three norms also called GM norms in order to qualify for the title, and once you earn the title, it will stay forever.
Related Stories
List of Youngest Indian Grandmasters
The following is a list of the youngest Indian grandmasters:
|
Rank
|
Player Name
|
Age at Receiving GM Title
|
|
1
|
Gukesh Dommaraju
|
12 years, 7 months, 17 days
|
|
2
|
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu
|
12 years, 10 months, 13 days
|
|
3
|
Parimarjan Negi
|
13 years, 4 months, 22 days
|
|
4
|
Raunak Sadhwani
|
13 years, 9 months, 28 days
|
|
5
|
Nihal Sarin
|
14 years, 1 month, 1 day
|
|
6
|
Bharath Subramaniyam
|
14 years, 2 months, 23 days
|
|
7
|
Aryan Chopra
|
14 years, 9 months, 3 days
|
|
8
|
Leon Luke Mendonca
|
14 years, 9 months, 17 days
|
|
9
|
Arjun Erigaisi
|
14 years, 11 months, 13 days
|
|
10
|
Pranav Anand
|
15 years, 10 months
|
Top 5 Youngest Indian Grandmasters in India
1. D Gukesh (12 years, 7 months)
D Gukesh or Gukesh Dommaraju is the youngest GM from India, he was honoured with the GM status when he was 12 yrs 7 months old. Gukesh later became the World Chess Champion in December 2024 by defeating Ding Liren.
2. R Praggnanandhaa (12 years, 10 months)
R Praggnandhaa is the second youngest grandmaster of India. He became only the third Indian to beat a reigning world number one when he defeated World Number One Magnus Carlsen in a rapid game in 2022, and also the first Indian to win a Chess Grand Tour title in 2026.
3. Parimarjan Negi (13 years, 4 months)
Back in 2006, long before the arrival of D Gukesh or R Praggnanandhaa, the youngest GM from India was Parimarjan Negi, a title which he held for over a decade.
4. Raunak Sadhwani (13 years, 9 months)
Sadhwani is the 10th youngest grandmaster in chess history. He became GM at 13 years and later won a bronze medal with the Indian team at the 2022 Chess Olympiad.
5. Nihal Sarin (14 years, 1 month)
Nihal Sarin from Kerala was a former world champion at the U-10 level, he is known for his sharp brain, and fast calculation in rapid and blitz formats.