Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Twenty-two-year-old Anuj Shrivatri won the 7th ASEAN Individual Open Chess Championship in Ozamiz City, the Philippines, on November 8 to win the Grandmaster title. He is the first chess Grandmaster from Madhya Pradesh and the 100th from India.
In an exclusive interview with Free Press over the telephone from the Philippines, Anuj shed light on his journey so far. An engineer by training, Anuj lives with his mother in Bhopal and gives credit to his parents, elder brother and coaches for his success. Excerpts:
You have become the 100th Grandmaster (GM) from India and the first from Madhya Pradesh. How does it feel?
It feels very good to become a GM. And being the 100th is also special. There is also a sense of relief since I had been trying for the GM title for the past year. It's really great to see that my hard work has paid off.
Also, it brings me joy that there is finally a GM from central India, with hopefully many more to come in the future.
Did you ever imagine that one day you will become a Grandmaster?
Yes. I did. From my childhood, I wanted to become a GM. In 2019, I became an International Master, after which GM looked like a realistic target. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic and college studies, I couldn’t play much chess after that. It was only after June 2025 that I became a full-time chess player.
Who introduced you to chess?
I started playing when I was around six. My father, Ashok Kumar Shrivatri, played chess in his college days, and he introduced me to the game. I liked it and decided to pursue it.
To whom would you like to give the credit for your achievement?
First of all, to my parents, without whom I can't imagine being a part of this journey and to my elder brother, who was a constant source of support for me and also my former coaches - Virendra Tiwari sir, Nikilesh Jain sir, Yashpal Arora sir and Rajesh Bahadur sir.
All of them helped me in one way or another and guided me on multiple aspects.
Who or what motivated you to excel in the game?
In childhood, I was in awe of Garry Kasparov and Vishwanathan Anand and their aggressive styles.
But it was under my past coach, Rajesh Bahadur sir, during 2016-2019 that I began to understand chess deeply and started excelling in national and international competitions.
Who is your favourite chess player?
In childhood, it was Kasparov. Now, it's Magnus Carlsen because he's very practical and has amazing chess skills.
What are your future plans?
Becoming a GM was my main aim till now. Now I want to cross the 2600 (FIDE) rating barrier and win lots of tournaments.
