Chennai’s G. Akash becomes India's 66th Grand Master
G. Akash, 23, became India's 66th Grand Master after he crossed the 2500 mark in the ratings this year.
Published : Jul 05, 2020 22:26 IST
Chennai’s G. Akash, on Sunday, became the country's 66th Grandmaster. His GM title was confirmed at the second council meet of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for the year 2020 held recently.
The 23-year-old told said he was delighted and that it was only a matter of time before it happened. “I am really happy to become a GM even though I was not thinking about it. I know with the process I follow, it was only a matter of time,” he told Sportstar on Sunday.
Akash, coached by K. Visweswaran, got his third GM-norm in the National senior chess championship in Majhitar (Sikkim) last year, but his ratings fell short of the magical mark of 2500. He played another five tournaments across the world to get to the final tally.
For three months from January, he played tournaments in Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands), Copenhagen (Denmark), and two in the Czech Republic in Prague and Liberec, while he attained the final norm in Bad Worishofen (Germany) in March.