At Three Years Old, an Indian Becomes the Youngest Rated Chess Player

An Indian boy, aged three years, seven months, and twenty days, named Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, has become the youngest chess player to be officially rated by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

This young prodigy surpassed the previous record held by his compatriot Anish Sarkar, who was three years, eight months, and nineteen days old when he entered the FIDE rankings last November.

Kushwaha, who is in kindergarten in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, achieved a rapid game rating of 1,572, as stated on the federation's website.

To receive a FIDE rating, a player must defeat at least one rated player. A rating is a score based on a chess player's performance but does not indicate a rank.

The world's number one player, Magnus Carlsen, tops the FIDE rapid chess rankings with a score of 2,824.

The young Indian player's father, quoted in local media, expressed that his son's achievement is a "source of great pride and honor." "We want him to become a grandmaster," he added.

Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha defeated three rated players in tournaments across his state and other regions of the country to achieve his status.

India is a hub for great chess masters and has produced stars like the current world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and five-time World Cup winner Viswanathan Anand.

AFP

Image: Screenshot from The Indian Express