Historic Achievement: Mayank Chakraborty Becomes Assam's First Chess Grandmaster

A Milestone for Assam's Chess Community

GUWAHATI, March 15: Mayank Chakraborty, a 16-year-old International Master from South Point School in Guwahati, has made history by becoming the first chess grandmaster from Assam and the entire Northeast region.

He achieved his final Grandmaster norm at the 8th Stockholm First Hotels GM Round Robin Tournament held in Stockholm, Sweden, which concluded on Saturday. This accomplishment makes him the 94th grandmaster from India.

In addition to this title, Mayank surpassed the crucial 2500 Elo rating mark, with his current rating slightly above this threshold, thus fulfilling the requirements set by the international chess federation, FIDE, for the Grandmaster title.

During the tournament, Mayank recorded one loss, two draws, and six victories, finishing with a total of seven points out of nine possible. He also secured the tournament title, finishing half a point ahead of Norway's Aksel Bu Kvaloy, who received a walkover in the final round.

Mayank had previously earned the title of International Master in 2024 and has consistently been a top performer in his age group.

Once ranked as India and Asia's No.1 in the Under-11 category, he had a remarkable season in 2021, competing in Europe and elevating his Elo rating from the 1800s to nearly 2200, while also achieving the world No.6 ranking for boys born in or after 2009.

His impressive journey includes winning national medals, such as silver in the Under-9 category and gold in the Under-11 category, along with a silver medal at the Asian Youth Chess Championship in Sri Lanka.

Mayank's success is attributed to strong family support, with his mother, a doctor, being a significant source of encouragement, while his father left his job to accompany him to tournaments.

The Northeast has been waiting for its first grandmaster since Viswanathan Anand became India's first in 1988, and Mayank's achievement in Stockholm has finally fulfilled that long-standing aspiration.

He dedicated his Grandmaster title to chess players and enthusiasts throughout the Northeast, hoping that this milestone will motivate more players from the region to achieve similar success.

Mayank began his chess journey at the Assam Chess Club, a unit of Akshayam, where he first learned the game and progressed through competitive chess.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulated Mayank, calling this a proud moment for Assam, and wished him success in his future endeavors.