India in chess has been scintillating to watch. The young stars from the country have been at their absolute best. They are performing at the biggest stages. The nation had been in sensational form in the 45th Chess Olympiad winning double gold in the Men’s and Women’s category. The nation won first place in both the open event and the women’s team competitions.
Amidst the success, there has been another beautiful story coming. On Friday, Kolkata’s Anish Sarkar, aged three years, eight months, and 19 days, became the youngest-rated chess player in history. Born on January 26, 2021, Sarkar began playing the sport a year ago and made his competitive debut in October at the West Bengal State Under-9 Open. He finished 24th with 5.5 out of 8 points.
After defeating two highly rated players, in a simultaneous exhibition match, the Kolkata Toddler had the opportunity to play against India’s No. 1 and global No. 4 Grandmaster Arjun Erigais. A week later, Sarkar played in the West Bengal State Under-13 Open, where he met the criteria of facing five rated opponents, earning him an initial FIDE rating of 1555. The world body updated the ratings on Thursday.
Anish Sarkar raises the bar in chess
Can this Kolkata Toddler reach the grand stage? Anish Sarkar broke the previous record set by Tejas Tiwari, India’s second GM and the youngest FIDE-rated player at the age of five. Anish’s rise comes as India experiences a dynamic chess era, with young players such as Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, and D Gukesh shining internationally. These prodigies have broken records and captivated admirers throughout the world.
India recently won a remarkable double-gold medal in the Chess Olympiad in both the open and women’s divisions. Their success has not only elevated India on the global chess map but has also spurred a national interest in developing future talent like Anish. Anish Sarkar’s mother said they had ‘zero knowledge’ of chess. “We introduced him to different YouTube channels, including cartoons like Peppa Pig, but he was drawn to chess videos.”
