India, Nov. 10 -- It's been 38 years since Viswanathan Anand became India's first-ever Grandmaster (GM) and later went on to become its first World Chess Champion. On Sunday, Madhya Pradesh's Anuj Shrivatri won the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open Chess Championship in the Philippines and became India's 100th GM. Anand, who is also the interim President of the International Chess Federation, feels proud of the growth that Indian chess has shown.

"100 is a wonderful number and is a moment for all of us to pause and celebrate the pride we feel as it signifies the growth Indian chess has achieved, which is one of the things that makes me proudest. . For it to come during the festive season makes it all the more lovely, giving us another reaso...