22-Year-Old Aronyak Ghosh Becomes India's 95th Chess Grandmaster

Aronyak Ghosh was only four when his mother's customary room-cleaning session led him to discover a box of old, dusty chess pieces. It belonged to his father. However, to the toddler, it didn't matter much. The pieces in black and white colours merely looked like soldiers in the battlefield. He began moving them across the floor. In a blink of an eye, the game of 64 squares had turned into a full-blown warzone. His father, Mrinal Ghosh, watched it all from the doorway in silent shock.

Mrinal had played chess casually in his youth, but seeing his son's innate fascination brought back memories of his younger days. That was the very moment it was decided that chess would be an integral part in his son's life. And not only did he decide to nurture Aronyak's talent, but the father, inspired by the son, eventually started playing competitively himself and subsequently earned an official FIDE rating.

On Sunday, his son Aronyak officially became India's 95th Grandmaster after a noteworthy performance at the 23rd BCC Open 2026 in Bangkok. Scoring an unbeaten 7/9 with a performance rating of 2584, he secured his third and final GM norm.

A long-awaited GM title

For the Ghosh family, the title is more than a sporting achievement. With the 22-year-old Kolkata-born crossing the required 2500 ELO rating mark and achieving his first GM norm back in 2022, the latest norm marks the end of a long, stressful wait. The final norm remained elusive for nearly four years.

"It is entirely a relief," Aronyak's mother, Sanchita Ghosh, told TimesofIndia.com from Bangkok in an exclusive conversation. "As parents, after leaving everything behind, even setting aside academics, this is a huge relief for us. It means that what we committed to has finally succeeded."

Coming from a modest background, the family had to make choices that most would find unthinkable. Mrinal, a chess player who later became an arbiter, often found himself selling off family belongings to ensure Aronyak could afford the entry fees and travel costs for tournaments. Because resources were scarce, Aronyak grew up playing with a unique kind of pressure. Unlike many of his peers who had the cushion of corporate sponsorships, Aronyak knew that his ability to play the next tournament depended entirely on his performance in the current one.

"We didn't receive much financial support," Sanchita recalled. "Most of the time, we depended on his prize money to fund further tournaments. It was always reinvested. At a very young age, he understood that winning prize money was necessary to keep playing. He used to think that if he played too aggressively and lost, he wouldn't have the funds to continue. He had to make many sacrifices, which is why he couldn't play as many international tournaments as others."

Aronyak's grind through years

Aronyak's first serious brush with competitive chess came at the Under-7 Nationals. It was a difficult experience. Without proper preparation, he struggled and felt overwhelmed. "After every round, he would ask about the opponent's state and rating. It was very stressful for him," his mother revealed.

Soon, the family sought out Sarbajit Adhikari, who helped Aronyak develop the stamina to sit for hours at the board. Later, he moved to the Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy and eventually to the Alekhine Chess Club around 2013-14. It was at Alekhine Chess Club that he met Soumen Majumdar, affectionately known as Somen Da. Under his guidance, Aronyak adopted the rigorous training schedules typically seen in the chess hubs of South India, often practicing for eight to nine hours a day.

Under the supervision of Durgaprasad Mahapatra and guidance from Soumen Majumdar, Aronyak's game matured steadily. Somen recognised the family's financial plight and provided coaching for free, even arranging sessions with top Grandmasters at his own expense. "Somen Da would have been the happiest if he were alive today," Sanchita told this website. "He didn't get to see Aranyak become a Grandmaster. He always used to say: 'do not just aim for 2500, aim for 2600'."

'Chess is the primary thing. Everything else is secondary'

Despite the heavy focus on chess, Aronyak remained a student of South Point School from nursery through Class 12. He is currently pursuing a B.A. at Prafulla Chandra College and holds a job with Eastern Railway, which provides some much needed stability.

Last month, Aronyak, who currently trains with IM Arghyadeep Das, secured his National Rapid title, followed by a third place finish with the RSPB B team at the 45th National Team Championship. By the time he landed in Thailand, the "GM-in-waiting" tag was ready to be shed. His first norm came in Barcelona in 2022, followed by a second in France in 2024. The third norm in Bangkok finally closed the circle.

For Aronyak, the title is not a finish line, but a license perhaps to finally play without the weight of the "next tournament's fee" hanging over every move.

Sanchita Ghosh, a lawyer by profession and someone who frequently travels with her son, makes it clear the air around his future: "There's nothing else. He hasn't done anything else besides chess. It's not possible now to switch to academics. The time to build that foundation was already devoted entirely to chess. Chess is the primary thing. Everything else is secondary."