Chess is a sport that originated in India. Originally called chaturanga, it means four military divisions. There are 78 chess grandmasters in the country, with 18 women holding International Master titles.
A 19 years of age from West Bengal has established a greater criteria for all chess lovers. Koustav Chatterjee ended up being the 78th Grandmaster (GM) of India and the 10th in West Bengal. The brand-new year has established a new milestone for chess in Bengal, bringing the variety of Grandmasters in the state to double digits.
Table of Contents
India’s 78th Grandmaster

Koustav won his initial GM standard at the Grandmaster Chess Tournament in Bangladesh in October 2021. He won his second GM norm at the Asian Championship in the first week of November 2022. in August, his FIDE rating crossed 2500. koustav played GM Abhijeet Gupta at the National Senior Chess Championship in 10 Koustav is in joint lead with 8/10 after 10 rounds of play.
Koustav drew his suit versus Mitrabha Guha at the National Senior Chess Championship in New Delhi on Saturday, December 31. Mitrabha had much more opportunities to win the suit, however Koustav cruised with the game as well as secured a draw in the endgame melee, guaranteeing his condition as GM in the last norm. significantly, GM Mitrabha is the last and also nine GM in the state.
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic duration, points started to change for the young man. During his arrest, he recognized the need to have a sound mind as well as a healthy and balanced body. Ever since, he began to exercise on a regular basis, shed virtually 50 kg and never back.
Coming to be interested in chess

Koustav began playing chess in 2010 and was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 2019. Koustav developed an interest in chess while he wanted and was a trainee to stand for India on the international stage. He began to concentrate a lot more on his research studies with an eager mind and focused on Indian Administrative Service (IAS) as his occupation, while also focusing on chess.
He stressed that he wanted to come to be a GM earlier by participating in overseas events. He also recalled the early days when his father introduced him to chess and gradually developed an interest in it. However, his papa passed away last year and was incapable to see him end up being a grandmaster.
Training without a coach
He established an instance for all young chess players, who did a great work in understanding as well as playing. With no instructor for training, this dynamic chess player was supported by Dhanuka Dhunseri Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy. This year is a big leap forward as he will be attending the College of Texas with the assistance of a scholarship. He pointed out that he wishes to play chess for the college while likewise balancing his research studies.
The young adult’s most current task includes his name to the checklist of grandmasters that have made Bengal proud – Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Grandmaster Sandipan Chanda and Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha among others.
About Grandmaster (GM)
The GM title is the highest title granted by FIDE, which is the governing body of chess in the world.The qualifications to become a Grandmaster have transformed over the years. To qualify for the title, a player must achieve a live rating of 2,500 Elo points. It is the highest rank that a chess player can obtain apart from becoming the World Champion. The first Grandmaster title was awarded to 27 gamers in 1950.
Chess Grandmasters in India
It’s no secret that chess has been a great sport in India. Thousands of people have taken up the game and have become professional players. Many of the best chess grandmasters in the world come from India. Those are names such as Viswanathan Anand, R. Praggnanandhaa, Pranav Anand, Sasikiran, and Abhijeet Kulkarni. They’re all great players and it’s a joy to watch them play.
India’s initial chess grandmaster was won by Viswanathan Anand in 1988 at the age of 14. Pranav Anand is the youngest ever Indian grandmaster. Born on December 10, 1999, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, he has won several titles including the World Rapid and Blitz Championship in 2003, the Sportstar Millennium Award in 2004, and he was named as one of the best chess players of all time in 2008. He is also known for his fast chess and his ability to play endgames.