Fourteen-year-old Aryan Chopra from New Delhi earned the Grandmaster title after he successfully crossed the Elo 2500 rating points barrier at the 13th IGB Dato Arthur Tan International Open Chess Championship-2016 at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on Thursday.
Chopra achieved this feat at the age of 14 years, 9 months and 3 days and became the second-youngest Indian to hold the title of Grandmaster, only behind Parimarjan Negi who had achieved it at the age of 13 years 4 months and 22 days. Negi had become the second-youngest GM ever when he had achieved the feat after Sergey Karjakin of Russia who became a GM at the age of 12 years and 7 months.
Reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen had been the third-youngest to achieve this title, taking only five days longer than Negi to do it.
The Delhi-based boy had earned his third norm in Abu Dhabi last month, but did not have the required points at the time – 2500 as specified by the World Chess Federation – to earn his title, which he did with three straight victories at the ongoing tournament in Malaysia.
Aryan also became the youngest of all Grandmasters that are currently active.
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