Fifth Year Hamptonian Rajat Makkar has enjoyed a remarkable few months on the chess circuit culminating in being named an International Master, awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
FIDE awards chess players the title International Master based on their achievements, which includes a combination of players reaching specific ratings, and achieving three ‘norms’ at tournaments that meet FIDE requirements. Following on from Rajat’s success at the 2022 European Club Chess Cup, where he secured victories that placed him well on the way to achieving the prestigious title, Rajat secured his final norm earlier this year to top off his chess success.
There are millions of chess players in the world, but only 3,000 have earned the prestigious title of International Master. In the U18 category there are around a dozen worldwide, and in the UK only one other player at the U20 level has secured the award.
Rajat hopes to continue his success in more prestigious international chess tournaments, with the aim of becoming a Grandmaster, the highest title awarded in chess, before he finishes his A Level studies.
Head of Fifth Year, Mr Jon Neville, congratulated Rajat on his phenomenal achievement:
We are all absolutely delighted for Rajat! In attaining the title of International Master, he has achieved something that no previous Hamptonian has done before, while still in School and working hard towards his GCSE exams. It is incredibly exciting to see what Rajat can go on to achieve in Chess over the coming years, and we look forward to following his progress with interest.
