.jpg) Mendonca in 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (2006-03-13)13 March 2006 (age 19) Goa, India |
| Chess career | |
| Title | Grandmaster (2021) |
| FIDE rating | 2620 (November 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2643 (March 2025) |
| Peak ranking | No. 85 (April 2025) |
Leon Luke Mendonca (born 13 March 2006, Goa, India) is an Indianchess grandmaster. He is the sixty-seventh Indian to qualify for the title of Grandmaster, whichFIDE awarded him in January 2021.
Mendonca became anInternational Master (IM) in 2019 at the age of 12 years, 11 months and 3 days.[1] He got stuck in Eastern Europe due toCOVID lockdowns in March 2020. He attained his firstGrandmaster norm at the Rigochess Grandmaster tournament inHungary in October 2020. Within a span of 21 days, he won another Grandmaster tournament atBudapest earning him the second Grandmaster norm.[2] Mendonca achieved his third and final norm in December 2020 by finishing second at the Vergani Cup inBassano del Grappa, Italy. He became the second grandmaster from the state of Goa afterAnurag Mhamal achieving the feat at 14 years, 9 months and 17 days.[3][4] He was officially awarded the title of grandmaster (GM) in January 2021.[5][non-primary source needed]
In January 2024, Mendonca won the Challengers' section of theTata Steel Chess Tournament, qualifying him for the Masters section in 2025.
