Chess

Manuel Aaron becomes India's first International Master

Madras chess player Manuel Aaron became the first Indian to earn the FIDE title of International Master.

Viswanathan Anand becomes India's first grandmaster

Chess player Viswanathan Anand of Madras became India's first grandmaster.

Viswanathan Anand wins the FIDE World Chess Championship

Chennai's Viswanathan Anand defeated Alexei Shirov in Tehran to become FIDE World Chess Champion, the first Indian world chess champion.

Viswanathan Anand becomes undisputed world chess champion

Chennai-born grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won the World Chess Championship tournament in Mexico City without losing a game.

Chennai hosts the Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship

Playing in his home city, Viswanathan Anand put his world title on the line against Magnus Carlsen and lost it to the Norwegian.

R. Praggnanandhaa becomes a grandmaster at twelve

Aged 12 years and 10 months, R. Praggnanandhaa of Chennai became a grandmaster, at that time the second-youngest ever.

D. Gukesh becomes a grandmaster at twelve

Aged 12 years, 7 months and 17 days, Chennai's D. Gukesh earned the grandmaster title, at that point the second-youngest ever to do so.

44th Chess Olympiad in Mamallapuram

India hosted the Chess Olympiad for the first time, at Mamallapuram near Chennai, with Tamil Nadu organising it at short notice.

Praggnanandhaa reaches the Chess World Cup final

At the Chess World Cup in Baku, R. Praggnanandhaa, aged eighteen, came second to Magnus Carlsen and earned a Candidates place.

R. Vaishali becomes a grandmaster

By passing the 2500 rating mark, Chennai's Vaishali qualified as India's third woman grandmaster, alongside her brother Praggnanandhaa.

D. Gukesh becomes world chess champion

Chennai's Gukesh Dommaraju defeated Ding Liren in Singapore to become the youngest undisputed world chess champion.