Three-year-old chess prodigy shocks the world by earning a FIDE rating
From Sagar in India, a toddler is rewriting chess history. Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, aged three, has become the youngest player ever to earn a rating from FIDE, the world governing body of chess. He began learning the strategy-based board game when he was two and a half. His story marks a milestone in youth chess, as he joins the ranks of FIDE-rated players at an age when most children are preoccupied with cartoons and toys.
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Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha becomes youngest-ever to earn a FIDE rating at age three
Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, from Sagar in India, began learning the strategy-based board game when he was two and a half. His coach Nitin Chourasia said: When he used to come to my house for coaching, he would cry, 'I want to go to Mama and Papa.' But after one month, he settled down and now he is not interested in anything but chess. Not cartoons, not the mobile, not television. He has been giving extensive training to Sarwagya since April — six days a week, four hours a day. It helped him to beat three rated players and earn a 1,572 rating from FIDE.
Record broken by Anish Sarkar: the previous youngest to reach a FIDE rating at age three
He broke a record set by Anish Sarkar, from Calcutta, who achieved the same feat in November last year aged three years, eight months and 19 days. That is one month older than Sarwagya is now.
Global reactions and rising stars: from the Asian Chess Federation to Britain’s young prodigy Bodhana
Bharat Singh Chauhan, deputy president of the Asian Chess Federation, said: 'I’m pleasantly surprised at these prodigies. It helps that they have plenty of opportunities to play.' In Britain, Bodhana Sivanandan, 10, caused a huge furore after she trumped grandmaster Mariya Muzychuk at the European Chess Club Cup earlier this year. Bodhana first took up the game during lockdown, then aged 5, as she was unable to play with her friends outside. Instead, she threw herself into chess and quickly learned the ropes, stunning her parents at how well she was able to play the game. Over time, as the pandemic eased off, she honed her skills and was then able to fly to the Greek island of Rhodes back in October for the tournament. Whilst there, she saw off the entire competition, even defeating 33-year-old Ukrainian Mariya, leaving her competitors flummoxed by her phenomenal ability. Youtuber and former grandmaster Daniel Gormally admitted Mariya — who had twice won her national competitions — was the favourite going into the match. However, Bodhana's win proved to be a 'sensational upset' to the sport, with Mariya 'in her prime'. He explained: 'We’ve had good players coming through, don’t get me wrong, but we haven’t had great players. Now we have players coming through who are actually quite exciting.' For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
