Delhi's 9-year-old chess prodigy Aarit Kapil comes close to beating Magnus Carlsen
In an extraordinary show of talent and composure, nine-year-old Aarit Kapil from Delhi came within a whisker of defeating reigning world number one Magnus Carlsen in a high-stakes clash during the 'Early Titled Tuesday' tournament held on a major online platform on Wednesday, June 25.Playing from his hotel room in Georgia, where he is currently competing in the Under-10 World Championship, Aarit faced the five-time world champion with poise well beyond his years. For much of the match, the Indian prodigy held the upper hand, even manoeuvring Carlsen into what analysts later called a 'completely lost position.'advertisementWith a rook versus two minor pieces in the final endgame, Aarit had an advantage that could have spelled defeat for one of the greatest players to have ever played the sport. However, with the clock ticking down and only seconds remaining, he was unable to convert the win and had to settle for a well-earned draw. Still, the performance sent shockwaves through the chess world—few players, let alone schoolchildren, have come this close to toppling Carlsen.
WHO IS AARIT KAPIL?Aarit Kapil is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about young names in the global chess circuit. Hailing from Delhi, he first made headlines in December 2024 by defeating Grandmaster Raset Ziatdinov at the KIIT International Open in Bhubaneswar. At just nine years, two months, and eighteen days old, Aarit became the youngest Indian ever to beat a GM in classical play, and the third-youngest globally—behind only Singapore's Ashwath Kaushik and Serbia's Leonid Ivanovic.advertisementKnown for his calm temperament and sharp tactical eye, Aarit capitalised on a late blunder by Ziatdinov in that game to claim a stunning 63-move victory. Since then, he has maintained a peak Elo rating of around 1825 and continues to dominate his age group in both national and international competitions.Aarit Kapil holds the title of Candidate Master (CM), which he achieved in 2025. This FIDE title typically requires a player to reach a rating of 2200 at some point in their career. It ranks below FIDE Master (FM) and above most national-level titles. While the CM title is usually awarded based on rating, FIDE may also grant it for exceptional performances in international youth events or continental championships, even if the rating threshold has not been met.Currently vying for a podium finish in the Under-10 World Championship, Aarit has already secured wins in the first two rounds and looks to carry this momentum forward. With upcoming events like the Indian Under-13 and Under-9 championships on the horizon, Aarit is going to make more headlines in the coming days.- Ends
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Shastri cautions India about resting Bumrah in second Test against England
Leeds [UK], June 25 (ANI): Former cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri believes India should think twice before resting world number one Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test against England after succumbing to a five-wicket defeat at Headingley. On the final day of the pulsating fixture on Tuesday, England gunned down a 371-run target to pull off their second-highest successful chase in Test cricket. Bumrah served as the driving force in India's seemingly toothless attack, with sizzling figures of 5/83 in the first innings. During India's 371-run defence, Bumrah lost his magic and went wicketless. After the conclusion of the contest, head coach Gautam Gambhir declared that the management won't budge from Bumrah's three-match utilisation. Shastri warned the Indian camp to think twice before resting Bumrah in the second Test at Birmingham, which begins on July 2. 'If he (Bumrah) was looking at a rest, you may have to think twice. If you don't have him and then go 2-0 down, it could be an uphill task,' Shastri said on Sky Sports. Compared to Bumrah's figures of 5/140 from 43.4 overs at an economy rate of 3.20, the rest struggled to match his impact. Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna combined to return with figures of 9/482 from 92 overs, a massive chasm. During the announcement of India's squad for the Test tour of England, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had confirmed Bumrah was advised not to contest in consecutive Tests as part of his workload management. The precaution around Bumrah's usage stems from a stress reaction in his back during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney in January. Former India batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar had suggested that India should consider playing Bumrah in all five Tests. However, Gambhir quickly turned down the suggestion, claiming they were more concerned about his workload. 'I think for us, managing his workload is more important because there's a lot of cricket going forward, and we know what he brings to the table as well. So, before he came to the tour, it was already decided that he was going to play three Test matches. But let's see how his body turns out,' Gambhir told reporters in the post-match press conference. (ANI)
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Greg Chappell in awe of Pant's batting
Greg Chappell, former Australia captain and former Indian men's cricket coach, is thrilled with Rishabh Pant's batting, despite possessing a technique that's not in 'the MCC coaching manual'. 'What an exciting cricketer! What a player to have on your team!' Chappell said, while interacting via videoconferencing at a launch of str8bat, a smart bat sticker that acts as a performance analysis tool. 'He reminds me very much of Adam Gilchrist. The difference that it can make to a team to have a wicketkeeper that can bat at that level and to score runs quickly,' he added. Besides surpassing Mahendra Singh Dhoni's tally of six Test hundreds, hitherto the most by an Indian 'keeper, Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score a hundred in each innings of a Test match during India's series-opener in Leeds. 'The beauty of it is that Rishabh gets his runs at a very fast rate, which gives you time to win cricket matches. He was a phenomenal performer (at Headingley). Some of the shots that he played probably weren't in the MCC coaching manual when I last looked at it,' Chappell said. 'He is reinventing the game as a batsman. Given the modern technology, the bats are very different, obviously. You can play shots that weren't possible with the old bats. But, man, he is exciting to watch. You never quite know what to expect from him from the first ball. 'At any stage, he is likely to jump down the wicket to the fast bowlers or he will play the falling ramp shot. It keeps the opposition on their toes. He is a match-winner and very nearly made the difference in that regard.' Former India wicket-keeper and chief selector Kiran More and Chappell hoped that the technological innovation would get a go-ahead by the Marylebone Cricket Club — the custodian of the cricket laws — for the stickers to be used in competitive matches.
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Time for India to change playbook?
CHENNAI: As Jamie Smith sent Ravindra Jadeja into the Headingley stands to take England home — with Jasprit Bumrah watching from the dressing room — in the first Test against India, a familiar feeling lingered among the visitors. For the fourth time (second time in England) in the last three and a half years, the Indian bowlers fell flat in the fourth innings, allowing the opponents to chase a total which they felt was enough. It had happened twice in South Africa and once in Edgbaston in the same year. On Tuesday, it was Ben Duckett and Joe Root who led the way against a Bumrah-led bowling attack. What was more worrisome was that long before the chase concluded in the last session of the match, the fate of the game was sealed. The moment had passed when Bumrah was not able to provide the early breakthrough, India's hopes, slowly, but steadily, slipped away. However, there is one common trend that has been prevalent since Gautam Gambhir took over. His consistent preference for batting depth over playing five frontline bowlers to make up for the lack of runs from the top-order. While it didn't matter in India, from the moment they arrived in Australia, Gambhir has sacrificed an extra frontline bowler to add security to a somewhat fragile batting unit. Across five Tests Down Under, the visitors played a batting all-rounder in Nitish Reddy as their fifth bowler. Even if Reddy struggled to do what was asked of him in the bowling department — no fault of his — India persisted with him. India's fifth bowler, Reddy, delivered only eight percent of the overall number of overs bowled in the first three Tests. Going into the Boxing Day Test, with the series 1-1, India had a chance to press for 20 wickets and take the lead. Instead, they fielded three all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja, Reddy and Washington Sundar. Both Reddy and Washington batted well, keeping the game alive, their lack of bite with the ball cost the visitors as they sent down only 13 per cent of all the balls. In Sydney, on what was a greenish surface, India went with the same combination only to be scorched again.
