INDIAN chess player city’s Vaibhav Jayant Raut has taken a significant step towards achieving the prestigious International Master (IM) title by securing his second IM norm at the RUDAR XXVI – Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament, held at Pozarevac, Serbia. Vaibhav made an impressive start to the tournament as he registered a remarkable victory against FM Xu Ziyuan (Elo 2453) of China. Continuing his winning momentum, Vaibhav defeated Mandar Pradip Lad (Elo 2392) in the second round. Despite facing setbacks with losses in the third, fifth and eighth rounds, Vaibhav demonstrated exceptional resilience and mental strength.

 

Entering the ninth and final round, Vaibhav delivered a commanding performance against GM Miloje Rathovic of Serbia (Elo 2460) and emerged victorious, thereby clinching his second IM norm. Vaibhav earned his first IM norm in July 2022 and after nearly three years of sustained effort he has successfully added the second norm to his credentials. To complete the requirements for International Master title, Vaibhav now needs to achieve one more IM norm and gain 50 additional Elo rating points to cross the 2400 Elo threshold.