India’s Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha has made global headlines after becoming the youngest player in chess history to earn an official FIDE rating at three years, seven months and 20 days.
His achievement breaks the previous record held by compatriot Anish Sarkar, who reached the milestone at three years, eight months and 19 days in November 2024.
Sarwagya, who is still in nursery school in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, currently holds a rapid rating of 1,572. It is remarkable for a child so small that he sometimes stands on a chair or stacks three chairs together just to reach the far end of the chessboard.
Earning a FIDE rating requires beating at least one rated player in an official event. A rating measures strength, not ranking, and world number one Magnus Carlsen sits at the top of rapid chess with 2,824.
Sarwagya did far more than required. He defeated three rated players across different tournaments to secure his place in history. At the 24th RCC International FIDE Rated Rapid Cup in Mangaluru, he beat 22-year-old Abhijeet Awasthi, rated 1,542. He followed it with a win over 29-year-old Shubham Chourasiya, rated 1,559, at the Shri Dadaji Dhuniwale Open in Khandwa, a tournament that also featured grandmasters like Mitrabha Guha. He later defeated 20-year-old Yogesh Namdev, rated 1,696, at the Dr Ajit Kasliwal Memorial Rapid Championship in Indore.
Sarwagya’s father, Siddharth Singh, described the moment as “a matter of great pride and honour” and said the family hopes he becomes a grandmaster.
The young prodigy began playing chess at two and a half years old. His parents noticed early that he learned quickly and absorbed information like a sponge. Within one week of his first lesson, he could correctly identify all the pieces.
His daily training now includes four to five hours of chess. One hour is spent at a training centre, and the rest comes from online games, puzzles, and video lessons. His father says Sarwagya would even wake up willingly in the middle of the night if asked to play and could stay on the board for hours without getting restless.
His coach, Nitin Chaurasiya, said he initially had to motivate the boy with toffees and chips because any stern tone made him cry. But he quickly realised the boy had unusual confidence and “guts” when facing older opponents.
Chess officials in Madhya Pradesh say Sarwagya represents a new era of talent. The state is already celebrating rising stars like Madhvendra Pratap Sharma, who recently won two major international gold medals.
