A Ra Harikrishnan earned his third GM-norm at the La Plagne International Chess Festival in France on Friday to become the country’s 87th Grandmaster. The Chennai-based Chess professional earned his first GM norm in July 2023 at the Biel International Chess Festival in Switzerland. Harikrishnan, 24, gained his second one at Andujar Open in Spain last month.

In chess, a Grandmaster (GM) norm is a performance in a tournament that meets specific criteria, indicating a strong level of play. To achieve the GM title, a player typically needs to earn three GM norms and reach a FIDE rating of 2500.