February 20, 2024, 04:07 PM
Ashwath Kausik has become the youngest chess player to beat a grandmaster at eight years, six months, and 11 days, reported Chess.com.
In his record-breaking feat on Feb. 18, the Singapore player beat Polish grandmaster Jacek Stopa, 37, in a three-hour game at the Burgdorfer Stadthaus-Open.
The previous record was set a month prior by Serbian player Leonid Ivanovic, who defeated a grandmaster at the age of 8 years, 11 months, and seven days.
He had become the first player under the age of nine to beat a grandmaster in a classical tournament game, making Ashwath the second.
Speaking to Chess.com, Ashwath said that the win felt "really exciting and amazing".
"I felt proud of my game and how I played, especially since I was worse at one point but managed to come back from that."
Picked up chess at 4
Ashwath is an Indian citizen who has lived in Singapore with his family for six years.
He attends the Overseas Family School in Pasir Ris.
His father, Kaushik Sriram, said that the child picked up chess at four years old while playing with his grandparents.
Neither he nor his wife play chess.
As the family has no particular sporting tradition, Kaushik shared that his son's achievement was "surreal".
"Every day is a new discovery, and we sometimes stumble in search of the right pathway for him."
Spends seven hours a day on chess
Today, Ashwath spends up to seven hours a day on chess, working with coaches such as Kevin Goh, CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation.
Calling the child "tactically very sharp", Goh also noted that his family is extremely supportive and "does not put excessive pressure on him".
"We are proud of Ashwath, but also do not set any targets for him and let him grow at his own pace. Him breaking this world record is simply a bonus."
The Singapore grandmaster also posted about his protégé's results on X (formerly known as Twitter).
"He needs a booster cushion to reach the other side of the board," he quipped.
Singaporean young talent Ashwath Kaushik today beat Grandmaster Jacek Stopa in a classical game at the Burgdorfer Stadthaus-Open 2024. He is standing well at 4/4 and will have a challenging rest of the tournament.
— Kevin Goh Wei Ming (@kevingohwm) February 18, 2024
At the age of 8 years, 6 months and 11 days, is this a record?…
Top image from David Llada/X and Chess.com
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