Manuel Aaron, in the modern tradition, was the first Indian chess master to earn the title of International Master. From the 1960s to the 1980s, he played the predominant role in the field of chess in India. Between 1959 and 1981, Manuel Aaron was the national champion of India nine times. He was the mastermind behind the introduction of international chess practices to India. And also regarded as the one of the key figures. Chess in India until the 1960s, which was known as chaturang or shatranj often played applying many local traditional variants. e.g. in lieu of castling (Interchanging the positions of the king and a rook), the king could carry out a knights (horse) move once, if it had not been checked. The international variety were popularized with the hands of Aaron. He played also instrumental role in forming many chess groups and advocating players to study openings and other formal chess literature.

On 30th December 1935, Manuel Aaron was born in Toungoo (Burma). From his parents and his elder sister, he learnt the chess acknowledgments. At that time he was barely eight years old. He had his primary education in Tamil Nadu. After that he moved to Allahabad University to do his graduation in science.

In the year 1954, he played his first chess tournament at Allahabad under Indian Chess rules. He afterward shifted to Madras in order to study engineering. But he soon gives up his studies to join Indian Bank as an officer. The job of the Indian Bank ensures to provide him with all facilities to play the game till he retired from the Bank in 1995.

In the year 1957, he played his first National Championship, which also happened to be the second National Championship of India at Pune. Aaron finished second at the tournament. Under the Swiss rules from 1955 to 1971, the Nationals were held once in two years with 14 rounds. In the next Championships held in Delhi in the year 1959, Manuel won the crown and afterward continued in keeping it at Hyderabad in the year 1961. In the year 1963, he finished poor, i.e. 17th at the tournament but he was made the runners-up in the year 1965 and 1967 respectively. The Championship again held in the year 1969 at Bangalore where he regained the title and thereafter till 1974 won successive years. The title was lost by him to Ravi Sekhar at Patna but the very next year he got back the defeat at Calcutta. In all, the last being at Delhi in the year 1980, he won the national title nine times. He also won the Tamil Nadu State Championship 11 times besides. Tamil Nadu emerged as the chess power station of India after him.

Manuel Aaron became the 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 the year 1961. In the Inter-Zonal the following year held at Stockholm, he defeated grandmasters Uhlmann and Portisch. Acknowledging this performance of Manuel Aaron, Indian Government conferred him the highest prestigious sports award the Arjuna Award. He thus became the first-ever chess player to be so honored. Against Bobby Fischer, noted chess player, he has experienced the greatest moment of his life.

Under Manuel Aaron`s captaincy the Indian teams participated to the Chess Olympiads held at Leipzj in the year 1960 and at Varna in the year 1962. In the year 1977, he also led India to the Asian Team Championship held at Auckland. And in the year 1981 captained the Asian Team at Hangzhow in China. In the 1960 Hastings International and the 1961 Wijkaan Zee tournament, he took part. At the tournament he beat the American grandmaster Bisguire. First in the 1962 Inter-Zonai and then 1962 Olympiad, he twice beat the Hungarian grandmaster Portisch. He twice went to Russia and Iran. In the year 1975, he jointly won Masters Tournament at Singapore.

Later Aaron has served as the Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Chess Association from 1977 to 1997 as well as the All India Chess federation. He also edits a quarterly magazine named "Chess Mate" and contributes regularly to The Hindu and The sport star. Arvind and Ashok two of his three sons have also made a name for themselves in the game.

The emergence of Aaron in an environment where there exits a minimal chess culture, was not at all eassy at that time. That is why Aaron was very much responsive to the stimuli or the growth of chess awareness in India. He did much to further glorify chess as the Secretary of the TNCA and also as chairman of the All India Chess Federation.