SURAT : Gujarat’s chess scene has a new record-holder. Fourteen-year-old Surat player Vivaan Vishal Shah has completed all requirements for the prestigious International Master (IM) title, becoming the youngest player from Gujarat to achieve the feat.
Vivaan secured his third and final IM norm at the SixDays Budapest GM Norm Tournament in Hungary, completing the three norms required for the title.
His journey began at the age of seven, when a childhood fascination with the chessboard gradually developed into an international competitive career.
Vivaan earned his first IM norm in Požarevac, Serbia, in February 2025, where he also won the Rudar Round Robin Chess Tournament. His second norm came at the SixDays September Open – Norm Edition in Budapest in September 2026.
He then completed the requirement with his third norm at the SixDays Budapest GM Norm Tournament.
Vivaan’s achievements include the U-10 National Championship, Commonwealth Youth U-10 Championship and Asian Junior Rapid Chess Championship 2026. He has also represented India at world-level events and crossed a FIDE rating of 2,400, with a highest rating of 2,429.
His parents described the achievement as an emotional milestone.
“We still remember Vivaan as a seven-year-old boy who simply fell in love with the chessboard. We never imagined that those 64 squares would take him on such an incredible journey,” they said.
They credited his coaches, mentors, tournament organisers, arbiters and supporters for contributing to his progress.
Vivaan has also received the SJAG Emerging Player of the Year 2024 – Chess award and the Eklavya Junior Award 2026 from the Sports Authority of Gujarat.
With the IM milestone achieved at 14, Vivaan now has his sights firmly set on the Grandmaster title.
