Leon Luke Mendonca is an Indian chess player who holds the title of Grandmaster (GM), the highest title a chess player can attain. He was born on 6th September 2006 in Goa, a state in India. He achieved the prestigious title at the age of 14, becoming the 67th Grandmaster from India and the second from Goa. He began playing chess at age 7 and won the Goa State Chess Championship in 2014, at the age of 8.
Mendonca earned his first International Master (IM) norm in 2019 at the Goa International Open GM Chess Tournament. He secured his second IM norm at the Portugal Idnei Chess Tournament in December 2019, and achieved his third and final IM norm during the Sunway Sitges international open in Spain. Consequently, he was awarded his International Master title in January 2020.
Later in the same year, he became the country's 67th and youngest active GM. This feat was accomplished during the year-long pandemic when most players were prevented from participating in tournaments. Mendonca, who was already in Europe for tournaments when the pandemic hit, continued to participate in tournaments in Budapest, Hungary as flights returned to India were not available.
His parents provided him with support, financially and morally, for his chess career since the beginning, with his father choosing to assist him full-time. His journey was further championed by entities like Geno Pharmaceuticals, who provided sponsorship to him, and the Sports Authority of Goa, from which he received the Chief Minister's chess scheme scholarship.