Fourteen-year-old Indian chess prodigy Apaar Saxena has achieved the prestigious International Master (IM) title after an extraordinary series of performances across Europe, completing all three norms in just five weeks.
Born in 2012 and hailing from Bengaluru, Apaar began his remarkable run at the IM Renome 2 Tournament in Bosnia on March 30, where he scored an impressive 7/9, clinching the title and earning his maiden IM norm.
He quickly followed this success at the San Vicente Open in Spain on April 6, once again scoring 7/9 in a massive field of over 500 players from 54 countries. Demonstrating exceptional consistency, he secured his second IM norm with two rounds to spare.
Continuing his strong form, Apaar delivered a notable performance at the Menorca Open, achieving a performance rating of 2404 and gaining valuable rating points. Although he narrowly missed a third consecutive norm, he remained a strong contender throughout the event.
The decisive breakthrough came at the IM Putnik 114 Tournament in Serbia on May 3. With yet another commanding 7/9 performance, Apaar secured his final IM norm, officially earning the International Master title. During the tournament, he also crossed a live rating of 2450, marking a rapid rise from 2185 to an official rating of 2362 (as of May 1).
Achieving all norms and rating requirements in such a short span highlights an exceptional surge in form and places Apaar among India’s most promising young chess talents.
His journey has been strongly supported by Silicon City Academy of Secondary Education, Bengaluru, with encouragement from Principal Sumalini Mam and School Coordinator Shenoy Mam. Notably, Apaar has not had a personal coach over the past two years. Earlier, he trained under Jayaram Ramana and supplemented his preparation through courses from platforms like Killer Chess Training and Yuri Vovk’s programs.
Apaar’s father, Prashant Saxena, has played a crucial role in managing his training, preparation, and tournament planning, while his mother, Ruchi Saxena, has been a constant pillar of support.
This achievement marks another proud moment for Karnataka chess and reinforces India’s growing stature as a global chess powerhouse.
“This is a proud moment for Karnataka Chess,” said
T. N. Madhukar, President, Karnataka State Chess Association,
along with Secretary Thejkumar, in an official release.