School Coordinator Shenoy Mam: Fourteen-year-old Indian prodigy Apaar Saxena has earned the prestigious International Master (IM) title after a remarkable run of performances across Europe, achieving all three required norms in just five weeks.
Born in 2012, the young talent from Bengaluru made his mark on the international circuit with a dominant showing at the IM Renome 2 tournament in Bosnia on March 30, where he scored 7/9 to clinch the title and secure his maiden IM norm. He quickly followed it up with another impressive outing at the San Vicente Open in Spain on April 6, once again scoring 7/9 in a highly competitive field featuring over 500 players from 54 countries. Saxena sealed his second norm with two rounds to spare, underlining his consistency and composure.
His strong run continued at the Menorca Open later in April, where he posted a performance rating of 2404 and earned significant rating points, narrowly missing a third consecutive norm despite remaining in contention.