P Shyaamnikhil Becomes India's 85th Chess Grandmaster, Gets Final Norm After 12-Year Wait

Even as India's young brigade shines in major events across the world, the country has got a 31-year-old as its 85th Grandmaster (GM). P Shyaamnikhil has completed his third and final GM norm in the just-concluded Dubai Police Masters chess tournament, which ends a 12-year-long wait for the player, who began playing the sport as an eight-year-old. (More Chess News)

Shyaamnikhil required only one win and eight draws to attain the long-pending GM title, which he achieved at the tournament.

The man from Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu had completed the necessary 2500 Elo rating points - mandatory to become a GM - to secure two Grandmaster norms all the way back in 2012. But he had to wait for 12 years to accomplish the third one.

"I started playing at the age of eight, my parents taught me but I could not play any tournament for three years. Winning the under-13 State championship opened up opportunities for me as I could play Asian and age group world championship," Shyaamnikhil told PTI.

"He shifted his base to Chennai to pursue chess despite coming from a modest background and stayed with me," his former coach K Visweswaran said.

Shyaamnikhil made his first GM norm at the Mumbai Mayors Cup 2011 and the second one some time later during the Indian championship as a 19-year-old.

At the Dubai Open in 2012, Nikhil missed a good opportunity to score his final norm, and then a series of missed chances led to a long drought in his career.

"It was only in 2017 that I played tournaments in Europe, till then I was trying to play in Vietnam or UAE trying to make the final norm but these places are not so easy as the tournaments are very strong," the GM said.

Nikhil, who is the 2022 Commonwealth champion, said he had come to Dubai prepared, having missed a norm again in a tournament in France just before the Police Masters.

"I needed a win in the last round but I drew again and missed the norm again," he said. "I wanted to play chess as enjoyment, I like Mikhail Tal and Garry Kasparov. I would like to dedicate this to my parents, who have waited a long time for this title, my trainer Visweswaran sir also helped a great deal," Nikhil added.

"Now that the title is done, I can play more freely," he said.

(With PTI inputs)