Mysuru: Karnataka’s chess has got its first Grand Master in the form of Mysuru lad  M.S. Thejkumar who achieved his remaining 1.70  ELO points by winning his two rounds in the Fomento All India FIDE Rating chess tournament in Goa today. He is the first Karnataka chess player to achieve the Grand Master title.

He had wins over Sanjeeb Parab (GOA) and over Athalye Varad (MAH) and crossed the needed 2500 rating barrier today at Goa. He becomes India’s 50th Grand Master.

He had achieved his three GM norms and IM tile eight years back and had to wait so long to reach the barrier. Prior to this tournament he needed 1.70 ELO points (live rating of 2498.30 and he has achieved the same in the two rounds in the ongoing Goa tournament. He had won the recently held Kandy Open in Colombo and had also won the Sri Lanka Open International tournament.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Thejkumar from Goa said that he is very happy and wants to achieve further and will work hard to become a Super Grand Master. He also said that he is grateful to his father K.R. Shivarame Gowda and his mother, wife Jayashree, and sponsors who have helped him reach his goal.

An employee of South Western Railways, he was part of the Indian Railway team which won the gold in the World Railway championship. He is the only Karnataka player to win the National ‘B’ title.