India’s 92nd Grandmaster: Aaryan Varshney

On 15 January 2026, Aaryan Varshney became India’s 92nd Grandmaster after winning the Andranik Margaryan Memorial tournament in Armenia.

The 21-year-old secured his third and final GM norm by drawing against FM Tyhran Ambartsumian in the eighth round, finishing with 6.5/8 points, two points clear of the rest of the field.
Varshney began playing chess at the age of 8, training under his father and coach Gaurav Varshney, laying the foundation for his rapid rise.
He earned the FIDE Master title in 2018 and became an International Master in 2024, reaching a live rating of 2395.
His breakthrough phase began in 2024, with victories at the 2nd Noida Rapid Rating Open and the 1st Dewas Rapid Rating Open.
In 2025, Varshney achieved his maiden GM norm at the 34th Vasilis Theodoridis Open in Kavala, sharing second place after defeating five-time Commonwealth champion Abhijeet Gupta.