Aarit Kapil, a nine-year-old chess prodigy from Delhi, etched his name in history by defeating Grandmaster Raset Ziatdinov of the United States during the ninth round of the KIIT International Open Chess Tournament in Bhubaneswar. This remarkable achievement makes Aarit the youngest Indian to ever defeat a Grandmaster in a classical chess match.
At just 9 years, 2 months, and 18 days old, Aarit is now the third-youngest player globally to achieve this feat. The youngest record-holder is Indian-origin Singaporean Ashwath Kaushik, who beat Grandmaster Jacek Stupa of Poland at the age of 8 years and 6 months earlier this year.
The Game’s Dramatic Turn
Facing the experienced 66-year-old Ziatdinov, Aarit showed resilience and skill. Ziatdinov initially gained an advantage using positional strategies and superior pawn structure. Despite being in a challenging position, Aarit remained composed and took the game into a prolonged endgame.
The turning point came when Ziatdinov made a critical error, losing a knight. Aarit capitalized on this opportunity with sharp calculation skills, converting his advantage into a decisive victory. The game concluded after an intense 63 moves.
Future Challenges Await
Following this milestone, Aarit is set to compete in the Under-13 National Championship in Durgapur later this month, followed by the Under-9 Nationals in Pune, where he will play in his own age group.
KIIT Tournament Highlights
While Aarit’s victory was the talk of the tournament, Russian Grandmaster Boris Savchenko claimed the championship title. Savchenko drew his final-round match against India’s Sayantan Das, securing a tournament score of 8.5 out of 10.
Top 3 Youngest Players to Beat a Grandmaster
Ashwath Kaushik (Singapore) – 8 years, 6 months
Leonid Ivanovic (Serbia) – 8 years, 11 months
Aarit Kapil (India) – 9 years, 2 months
Aarit’s triumph not only highlights his immense talent but also signals a bright future for Indian chess.
