Current affairs of 9 November 2026 (Shanmugam IAS Academy) – explained for UPSC, TNPSC and other competitive exams
News
Anuj Shrivatri, 22, of Madhya Pradesh has become India's 100th chess Grandmaster (GM). He earned the direct GM title by winning the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines; the win was reported on 8 November 2026 (Diwali day). After losing his first game he recovered to finish half a point ahead of Vietnam's Nguyen Duc Hoa. He is the first Grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh; in 2020 he had become the State's youngest International Master (IM). India has reached 100 GMs about 38 years after Viswanathan Anand became the country's first GM in 1988. The 99th GM was V.S. Rathanvel of Coimbatore (July 2026) and the 98th was S. Aswath (July 2026).
Key facts for the exam
Point
Details
Player
Anuj Shrivatri (22), Madhya Pradesh
Feat
India's 100th GM; MP's first GM
Event
7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Championship, Philippines
Reported
8 November 2026
Runner-up
Nguyen Duc Hoa (Vietnam)
India's first GM
Viswanathan Anand (Chennai), 1988
99th GM
V.S. Rathanvel, Coimbatore (July 2026)
World chess body
FIDE – founded Paris 1924; HQ Lausanne
Background
Grandmaster title: FIDE's highest permanent title (apart from the World Champion title). Usually three GM norms and a 2500 Elo rating are required; winning certain events such as continental championships gives a 'direct' GM title – which is how Anuj earned it.
FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) was founded in Paris on 20 July 1924; that day is observed as International Chess Day. Its headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Indian women GMs: Koneru Humpy became a GM in 2002 at 15 – India's first woman GM. She was followed by Dronavalli Harika, R. Vaishali (Tamil Nadu) and Divya Deshmukh (2025, Women's World Cup winner – the fourth woman GM).
Rise of Indian chess: the 44th Chess Olympiad was held at Mamallapuram in 2022 – the first hosted by India. Chennai's D. Gukesh became World Champion in December 2024.
Tamil Nadu link: India's first GM Viswanathan Anand (Chennai, 1988); the 99th GM V.S. Rathanvel is from Coimbatore. Tamil Nadu has produced the most young Grandmasters in the country; the 2022 Chess Olympiad was held at Mamallapuram; World Champion D. Gukesh is from Chennai.
Frequently asked questions
What is this news about?
Anuj Shrivatri, 22, of Madhya Pradesh has become India's 100th chess Grandmaster (GM). He earned the direct GM title by winning the 7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines; the win was reported on 8 November 2026 (Diwali day).
What are the key facts to remember for the exam?
Player: Anuj Shrivatri (22), Madhya Pradesh; Feat: India's 100th GM; MP's first GM; Event: 7th ASEAN+ Individual Open Championship, Philippines; Reported: 8 November 2026.
What is the background to this news?
Grandmaster title: FIDE's highest permanent title (apart from the World Champion title). Usually three GM norms and a 2500 Elo rating are required; winning certain events such as continental championships gives a 'direct' GM title – which is how Anuj earned it.
