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Manuel Aaron pioneered the game of chess in India and played a pivotal role in making India an emerging force in world chess. Aaron, born on December 30, 1935, was the first Indian to earn the title of International Master.
Aaron dominated the Indian chess scenario from the mid-fifties till the end of the seventies and won the national title nine times. From 1969 to 1971, he clinched the title five times in a row. In a state like Tamil Nadu, with a rich chess legacy, he won the state championship a whopping 11 times.
Aaron became an International Master when he won the West Asian Zonal against Mongolia's Sukien Momo 3-1 and the Asian-Australian Zonal final C.J.S. Purdy of Australia 3-0 in 1961. During those early days of chess, it was indeed a big achievement for an Indian chess player.
In 1962 Aaron qualified for the Stockholm Inter-Zonal and although finishing last he got the better of grandmasters Lajos Portisch and Wolfgang Uhlmann. In recognition of this performance, Aaron was conferred the Arjuna Award, the first chess player to be so honoured.
Aaron captained the Indian teams to the Chess Olympiads at Leipzjg, Germany (1960) and Varna, Bulgaria (1962). He also participated in the 1964 Tel Aviv Chess Olympiad.
