Tamil Nadu added another jewel to its illustrious chess crown as 16-year-old, Ilamparthi AR from Chennai became India’s 90th Grandmaster and the 35th from Tamil Nadu. The young prodigy achieved his final Grandmaster norm at the Bijeljina Open 2025 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A beneficiary of Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s (SDAT) Champions Development Scheme, Ilamparthi is the latest chess star from Tamil Nadu, home to legends like Viswanathan Anand, R Praggnanandhaa, and D Gukesh.

Congratulating the young champion, Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote on X,

“He battles through brilliance to script history, earning his title and adding another jewel to Tamil Nadu’s crown of champions. As the sun rises higher on Tamil Nadu chess, the #DravidianModel will keep turning every promising move into a masterstroke. More TN GMs in the making!”

Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also lauded the achievement, and wrote on X, “A remarkable milestone and yet another proud moment for Tamil Nadu and Indian chess! Congratulations to Ilamparthi AR on becoming India’s 90th Grandmaster and Tamil Nadu’s 35th! A proud beneficiary of SDAT’s Champions Development Scheme — wishing him many more winning moves in his future chess journey.”