Sahib Singh becomes India’s latest International Master from New Delhi
India has recently got a new International Master, 16-year-old Sahib Singh from Delhi. He scored his final IM norm at the Dubai Open 2025. This path wasn’t easy for him as he missed his norm a few times, a lot of pressure, and financial struggles along the way. But what kept him going was his love for the game and the strong support from his family. Over the years, Sahib has made India proud time and again. One of his stunning performances includes his triple gold finish at the Western Asia Youth Chess Championship in 2022. Read his story to know how a young boy from Delhi became India’s newest International Master. Photo: Tajinder Singh
India’s latest International Master - Sahib Singh
Every grand journey begins with the smallest and most unexpected steps. This is something I have come to believe after hearing the stories of so many chess players. India recently got its new International Master, Sahib Singh, and his story is just a beautiful reminder of it. This 16 year old boy from Delhi has scored his final IM norm at the Dubai Open tournament. His father, Tajinder Singh, shared the news on his Facebook page on 4th June 2025.
Sahib’s road to this milestone wasn’t a smooth one. He was close to achieving the title a few times in the past, but somehow missed it. He earned his first IM norm at the Rudar GM Tournament in Pozarevac in November 2023, the second norm at the Priaeus GM tournament in Greece in May 2024, and he also scored his first GM norm in the same tournament, and now the third and final norm. If we look back, exactly a year ago, Sahib had an impressive rating jump of 142 Elo points. He was showing great results and getting closer to the IM title, but somehow, the final norm kept slipping away.
Though it was long-awaited, this feeling is overwhelming and taking time to sink in. I have had some pretty close calls in a few tournaments over the last year in getting the final norm. Feeling relieved now. - Sahib expressed his feelings after becoming an IM.
His chess journey started with him casually watching his father and brother play a game at home. He simply learned the basics of the game by watching them play. Then his school started conducting chess classes, which Sahib started attending. His school’s chess coach saw potential in him and naturally encouraged the family to take it seriously. Like every good parent, they did take it seriously and started seeking opportunities for him to gain more exposure. He began playing local tournaments.
The first tournament Sahib ever won was an age-category event organized by Vishal Sareen’s academy. Not long after, he secured second place in the Delhi State U-9 Championship. He admits that he didn’t even realise the significance of what he had achieved. “I was just playing chess for the fun of it, without knowing what it had in store for me,” he candidly said. This innocence and love for the game were the foundation of this journey.
When a child is showing progress, it becomes important to nurture that potential, to give them the opportunities to aim higher. This, naturally, comes with its own set of challenges, especially financial ones. “Without any sponsorship in the pocket, it hasn't been an easy ride.” Tajinder Singh expressed.
It was not easy convincing even my family, as no one saw any scope in it for travelling so far for so many days, spending so much money and time, but my father stood his ground and supported me throughout. He faced everyone and didn't let me bother about any of these things. - Sahib shared with pride.
A parent shielding a child from distractions! This let Sahib solely focus on his game rather than anything else. We call this “Parental support” but I think it should be called “Parental Superpower”. The support is not only from the parents' side. Even Sahib is fully aware of these behind-the-scenes efforts. “I know my dad has been struggling to manage the finances in order to keep my chess going, but he doesn’t let me get distracted.”, Sahib shared. This father-son duo is truly each other’s backbone!
Tajinder’s support is not limited to this. He travels with Sahib to all the tournaments, manages all the tiny details there. In fact, he even learned cooking simple meals so that they won’t face any difficulty abroad, especially because they are vegetarians. Back in Delhi, Sahib’s mother holds the fort with equal dedication! She co-ordinates with his school and tuition classes to make sure his academics don’t fall behind. These efforts and sacrifices of parents don’t show up on the rating list!
In 2022, Sahib achieved something remarkable! He won Triple Gold across classical, rapid, and blitz format in the Western Asia Youth Chess Championship. They say, "Your achievements change minds." After Sahib returned with these medals, his rest of his family began to see his passion in a new light. That changed their perspective. And from that point on, chess was no longer just a hobby for him, it was his inner calling.
Sahib has worked with many coaches over the years. Each one of them has left an imprint on his game. When asked about his coaches, he said:
R.K. Nath sir, Gurpreet Pal Singh sir, Farrukh sir, G.B. Joshi sir, and currently, GM Swayams Mishra sir, all of them have helped shape my chess in different ways. They believed in me and developed different aspects of my game, whether it was psychological strength or over-the-board skills.
Sahib’s playing style has also matured with time. He started out as a solid, tactical player, but now he is more of a balanced, strategic player. Even his coach, GM Swayams Mishra, admits, “Sahib’s fighting spirit and hard work are his biggest strengths, along with his genuine love and passion for the game.” When asked about Sahib’s latest achievement, he couldn’t hide his happiness, “Really happy for him, as he had made his 2nd norm and was constantly above 2400+, however, was missing his final norm for the past 1 year, but due to some reason or other, he kept missing despite being close. Now he can play more strongly with the IM title out of his mind!”
Sahib is a strong chess player, but he is also a student who has to catch up after every tournament and cover the backlog. This is something any young chess player can relate to.
“It’s like a seesaw. I don’t want to leave my studies, but I can’t put chess on the back burner either. In higher classes, you can't excel without tuitions,” Sahib said.
His training routine is flexible rather than rigid. It includes solving puzzles, playing online games, revising openings, and watching instructional chess videos.
Tournaments, that too those where you can earn your norm, bring a different kind of pressure. The weight of expectations, the “what ifs,” the calculations that go beyond the board… It’s not easy to stay composed. Even Sahib struggled with it. He missed CM, FM, and IM titles quite a few times, and not because of his playing strength, but due to pressure. This can be understood by only those who have come close to their title yet fallen short! This time, Sahib flipped the script! He stayed calm and focused, and we all have seen the result! Like many players today, he found meditation and prayer useful. Apart from this, what works best for him is unwinding with a light-hearted movie with his dad after each round.
As noted by his current coach, GM Swayams Mishra, Sahib’s strong point is his strong understanding of classical chess games. Many players rush to memorize lines, but Sahib’s route is different. He studies games of legendary players from the past and present like Morphy, Anderssen, Staunton, Magnus, Caruana, and Hikaru. His mantra is to understand how the great minds thought. It helps to build a deeper understanding of the game.
I am just writing a part of Sahib’s story, his first major milestone. The rest is still unfolding. Even though he didn’t have many resources, he had belief and strong support from his family, and that’s how journeys often begin! He has already come very far, and he will go even further.
Apart from this, Sahib also runs a YouTube channel where he shares videos of chess games that he finds interesting. He is very passionate about creating quality chess content and considers GothamChess, Agadmator, and Sagar Shah as his inspiration. You can find his channel here.
Sahib also shared two of his favourite games with us. These games reflect his style but also offer valuable insights for all those who want to improve.