Delhi Chess Prodigy, 9, Holds World Champion Magnus Carlsen to Draw in Online Blitz

A 9-year-old chess player from New Delhi, Aarit Kapil, has made headlines after drawing a game against the world's top-ranked player, Magnus Carlsen. This remarkable achievement took place during an online blitz game in the Early Titled Tuesday competition.

Nine-year-old Aarit Kapil nearly defeated Magnus Carlsen before drawing.

Aarit Kapil, a fifth-grade student at Somerville School in Mayur Vihar, has been playing chess for just four years. He secured a draw against the five-time world champion on the 49th move. He even maintained a winning position against Carlsen.

The Titled Tuesday tournament is an exclusive event for players holding FIDE titles. It attracts elite grandmasters such as Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and former world champion Vladimir Kramnik. Aarit, a Candidate Master, participated in the online competition from his hotel room in Batumi, Georgia. He is currently competing in the FIDE World Cadets Cup in the under-10 category.

This accomplishment adds to Aarit's growing list of achievements. Last December, he became the third-youngest player globally to defeat a Grandmaster in classical time control. He won against 66-year-old Raset Ziatdinov of the United States.

Aarit's father, Vijay, told Indian Express that Aarit was introduced to chess by his elder sister Aarna when he was five years old. "In one week, he was beating us," Vijay said. Recognizing his potential, they enrolled him with a coach, and within days, he won an international online tournament.

The young chess prodigy dedicates five to six hours daily to chess, guided by IM Vishal Sareen. His parents learned of his draw against Carlsen when he excitedly announced, "draw kar diya, Carlsen ko draw kar diya" (I drew, I drew with Carlsen).

During the game, each player started with three minutes, with a one-second increment per move. By the 25th move, Aarit had a board advantage but faced time pressure with only 31 seconds left, while Carlsen had one minute and 25 seconds.

He maintained a winning position until move 46, with just seven seconds remaining on his clock. The game ended in a draw after 49 moves. Carlsen finished third in the 664-player tournament, despite being on vacation.

Vijay, who works as a mutual fund distributor in Delhi, shared that Aarit is completely dedicated to chess. "Bas chess hi karta hai. Aur kuch nahi karta," he said (only chess, nothing else). The family is seeking sponsors to support Aarit's chess career and enable him to participate in more international events.

This achievement follows a recent trend of young Indian players challenging Carlsen. Just weeks prior, 19-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju defeated the Norwegian champion at the Norway Chess tournament.