Chess: 16-year-old Aditya Mittal becomes India's 77th Grandmaster

Chennai: Sixteen-year-old Aditya Mittal has become India's 77th chess Grandmaster during an ongoing tournament in Spain.

The Mumbai player, who had secured three GM norms, crossed 2,500 ELO points mark during the sixth round of the ongoing Ellobregat Open tournament in Spain. He drew the game against Spain's No.1 Francisco Vallejo Pons to achieve the feat.

To become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 ELO points.

Mittal earned his maiden GM norm at Serbia Masters 2021. Subsequently, he obtained his second GM norm at Ellobregat Open 2021. The teenager secured his third GM norm at Serbia Masters 2022.

He is among the five players sharing the lead with five points at the ongoing Ellobregat Open.

Mittal is also the fifth Indian to achieve the GM title in 2022 after Bharath Subramaniyam, Rahul Srivatshav, V Pranav V and Pranav Anand.