Shyam Nikhil becomes India’s 85th GM: Incredible tale of 12-year wait.

Sports

In a sport often featuring teenage prodigies, Shyam Nikhil is the poster boy for patience. The Tamil Nadu chess player became an International Master (IM) at the age of 18 way back in 2010, before collecting two out of the three norms needed to become a GM within a year. By 2012, he had also crossed the threshold of 2500 rating points necessary to become a grandmaster. He seemed destined to become India’s 28th grandmaster very soon, but fate had other plans.It took Shyam 12 more years to attain the elite status he was seeking. This week, the now 31-year-old from Tamil Nadu earned that third norm which will make him India’s 85th grandmaster. His elevation is in stark contrast to that of Gukesh, who will challenge for the world chess championship crown later this year, was India’s youngest-ever grandmaster at the age of 12.


      Shyam Nikhil's Patience: Shyam Nikhil, a Tamil Nadu chess player, achieved the title of International Master (IM) at 18 and collected two out of three norms for the Grandmaster (GM) title within a year.

      Long Journey to GM Title: Despite reaching the necessary rating and norms by 2012, Shyam faced a 12-year journey to finally attain the GM title, which he achieved at the age of 31.

      Contrast with Younger Prodigies: Shyam's journey stands in contrast to players like Gukesh, who became India's youngest-ever grandmaster at 12 years old.

 

     


About Shyam NIkhil

born on : 1 June 1985
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