Who Is Aronyak Ghosh? 22-Year-Old From Kolkata Becomes India's 95th Chess GM

Kolkata youngster Aronyak Ghosh on Sunday, April 19, became India’s 95th Grandmaster, achieving his final GM title norm at the Bangkok Chess Club Open 2026.

The week has brought a string of celebrations for the chess fraternity. R Vaishali bagged qualification for the FIDE Women’s World Championship, A S Sharvaanica clinched the FIDE Under-12 Rapid title and on Sunday, another milestone followed as Aronyak became a GM.

Aronyak scored 7 out of 9 to finish tied for first place. The milestone was a long time in the making for the National Rapid champion, who earned his first Grandmaster norm at the Sants Open in 2023 and followed it up with his second at the Annemasse Masters in 2024.

Aronyak also qualified for the FIDE World Cup 2025, where he beat

Poland’s Mateusz Bartel in the opening round before bowing out to Levon Aronian. He is ranked 401 in the world, with a standard rating of 2533.

Unlike many players who are uneasy facing lower-rated opposition in India, Aronyak embraces the challenge of competing in Indian Grandmaster opens and capitalising on the prize money.

Aronyak has honed the ability to outplay lower-rated opponents, a key factor behind his rise to a 2550 rating. Defeats are rare, underlining his brilliant consistency.

Aronyak’s father, Mrinal Ghosh, is a former chess player and now an arbiter, who made significant sacrifices to support his son’s journey. Coming from a modest background, he often sold family belongings to ensure Aronyak could compete in tournaments.

Aronyak’s mother, a lawyer, has been a constant support as well, travelling with him to events.

Aronyak became India’s National Rapid Champion in 2026 and bagging the GM title marks a major breakthrough in his career, something he had been striving towards for a long time.