Chess Sensation: 9-Year-Old Indian Prodigy Holds Magnus Carlsen to Draw

Chess Prodigy: Nine-Year-Old Aarit Kapil Draws Against Magnus Carlsen

In a stunning display of skill, nine-year-old Indian chess player Aarit Kapil achieved a remarkable draw against world number one Magnus Carlsen in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' online chess tournament.

Magnus Carlsen ponders his next move.

Aarit, fresh off his runner-up finish in the Under-9 National Championship, put immense pressure on the five-time world champion, even gaining a decisive advantage. The young Indian had Carlsen in a clearly losing position.

However, the clock became a factor. Due to time constraints, Aarit was unable to fully capitalize on his advantageous position, ultimately leading to a draw in a rook versus two minor pieces endgame.

The talented player from Delhi participated in the online event from Georgia, where he is currently competing in the under-10 World Championship. He has started strong, winning his first two rounds and preparing for his third game on Wednesday.

Indian player V Pranav emerged victorious in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' tournament, securing an impressive 10 points out of 11 rounds. American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Carlsen tied for second place with 9.5 points each, with Niemann taking second on tiebreak.

In related news, Magnus Carlsen recently made history by reaching a 2900 rating in freestyle chess, a feat unmatched in any chess format to date. He jokingly remarked that his wife, Ella Victoria, finds him "way more attractive" after reaching the milestone.

Carlsen, who has dominated the world number one position for almost 15 years, achieved his peak classical chess rating of 2882 in May 2014. It's important to note that the new freestyle chess ratings are managed by the Freestyle Chess organization, independent from FIDE, the global chess governing body.

The freestyle ratings calculation considered five tournaments: Weissenhaus 2024, Singapore 2024, Weissenhaus 2025, Paris 2025, and Karlsruhe 2025. The calculations encompassed 578 players who participated in at least one event over the past two years.

Fellow Indian chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa currently holds the fourth position with 2773 points, trailing Carlsen (2909), Hikaru Nakamura (2818), and Fabiano Caruana (2804).