PANJIM: Fourteen-year-old Goan chess prodigy Ethan Vaz etched his name into the history books on Saturday, by completing all requirements to become India’s 96th Grandmaster and only the third from Goa.
Vaz clinched his third and final GM norm by winning the “Chess Summer in Sarajevo – GM Mix” tournament in Bosnia & Herzegovina with an unbeaten score of 7 points from 9 rounds. This historic victory makes him the youngest current Grandmaster in India and the second-youngest in the world.
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Competing in a strong 56-player international Swiss tournament, Vaz finished with an exceptional tournament performance rating of 2643, securing five wins and four draws exclusively against titled opponents—including three Grandmasters.
Highlighting his remarkable strength and consistency, all three of his GM norms were earned while simultaneously winning international tournaments; his first came at the “GM4 Festival Šaha Bijeljina 2025” in October 2025, and his second followed at the “GM Mix 11 Fantastico” in Serbia in January 2026. This achievement carries extra weight under FIDE’s stricter June 2022 regulations, making Vaz the youngest Indian to fulfill the title requirements since the rules began mandating at least one norm from an individual Swiss event.
“It has been my goal since the time I started playing chess, and I am glad to have achieved the Grandmaster title. I will continue to work on my game and try to achieve my dream of becoming the World Champion,” said Ethan.
“Since the age of seven, Ethan’s aim has been to become the youngest Grandmaster in the world. If not for the recent US-Iran war that derailed tournament plans earlier this year, he may have nailed it. We are thrilled that Ethan exceeded all practical expectations. He has made it count every single time he was given an opportunity,” said Edwin Vaz, Ethan’s father.
“We would like to thank Ethan’s coaches Prakash Vikram Singh, GM Swayams Mishra, and GM Srinath Narayanan for nurturing and taking him to this level. A big thank you to Chola Chess Academy and the Pro Chess Training coaches, including GM RB Ramesh, for their mentorship,” said Linda Fernandes, Ethan’s mother.
“We thank Ethan’s sponsors—Geno, Helpchess Foundation, Quantbox, Group e4, Chola Chess, and The King’s School—and all well-wishers who donated towards his crowdfunding campaign. We are especially grateful to AICF, SAI, GCA, and SAG for their constant help and support,” she added.
Reacting to the historic milestone, Goa Chess Association President Mahesh Candolcar extended his congratulations, expressing immense pride in Vaz’s rapid rise.
Meanwhile, GCA Honorary Secretary Ashesh Keni stated that the entire association is thrilled, noting that Goa has now uniquely created history by placing two of its players among India’s top 10 youngest Grandmasters.
Keni urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar to immediately release major state grants for both GM Leon Mendonca and GM-elect Ethan Vaz, pointing out that other States like Assam have instantly rewarded their new Grandmasters with Rs 10 lakh.
Keni credited this wave of success to the relentless sacrifice of the players’ families, specialised coaching, and the GCA’s targeted “Pick Them Young” Chess in Schools initiative.
