Ameet Ghasi Becomes England’s 42nd Grandmaster at Fagernes Tournament

Ameet Ghasi from Birmingham made history last weekend by becoming England’s 42nd grandmaster at the age of 37. Ghasi, who works full-time for Biogen, achieved this milestone by finishing third in the international tournament at Fagernes, Norway, with a score of 6.5/9.

Ghasi’s journey to the grandmaster title was not easy, as he had been working towards his final norm for a few years. With the help of a grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for elite chess, Ghasi was able to target the Fagernes tournament as a norm prospect and prepare well in advance. His standout performance included a brilliant win against a Norwegian GM, where he showcased his attacking skills and finished with a checkmate on the board.

Reflecting on his achievement, Ghasi expressed relief and described it as a long time coming. Despite working full-time and taking an eight-year break from chess in his late teens, Ghasi persevered and finally reached his goal of becoming a grandmaster.

Ghasi’s success adds to the recent achievements of English players in the chess world, with young talents like Shreyas Royal making waves. The importance of financial backing for elite chess, provided by the DCMS, has been a common theme in these successes.

As Ghasi celebrates his historic accomplishment, the chess community looks forward to seeing more English players follow in his footsteps and continue to make their mark on the international stage.