9-Year-Old Indian Prodigy Shocks Magnus Carlsen, Makes National Headlines

India's latest chess sensation, CM Aarit Kapil, is only nine years old. This week, he came within inches of defeating none other than world number-one GM Magnus Carlsen in Chess.com's Titled Tuesday. The game ended in a dramatic draw, but the performance has already made headlines in India.

The chess world has grown accustomed to stories of incredible prodigies achieving extraordinary feats, fueled by the surge of emerging new talents during the pandemic.

One of these kids is Aarit, who hails from New Delhi and learned chess only four years ago. Today, he is already among the top global talents in his age group and a rising star in India's ever-expanding chess scene.

His FIDE classical rating is 2078, and he holds the candidate master (CM) title, allowing him to compete in the popular Titled Tuesday tournaments on Chess.com. Here, he plays as @Drstrange2015, with a peak blitz rating of 2765.

That level is usually reserved for experienced international masters and grandmasters. And he is yet to turn ten years old.

In round two of the June 24 Early Titled Tuesday, he proved his skills when he faced none other than Carlsen, the world's number one in classical, rapid, and blitz, and by many considered the greatest player in the history of the game. 

With the white pieces, Carlsen played aggressively and went for the throat, turning it into a highly tactical game. Mistakes were made by both sides. However, the former world champion's kingside attack backfired, and Aarit was able to counterattack. 

The youngster gained a winning advantage with his rook and passed pawns against Carlsen's two pieces and vulnerable king. However, in mutual time trouble, both players made serious mistakes. They shared the point after reaching a drawn position, with both players having just seconds left on the clock.

Aarit faced another superstar in the following round, compatriot GM Arjun Erigaisi, but was outplayed with the black pieces. Nevertheless, the nine-year-old ended up with a respectable 7/11, helped by defeating GM Pablo Salinas in round 10.

He is now regarded as one of India's most promising youngsters and is ranked ninth among the world's highest-rated players born in 2015 or later. That age group is headlined by the youngest-ever international master, Roman Shogdzhiev. 

Speaking to Chess.com, Aarit's father, Vijay Kapil, said his son was excited when he realized who he was facing. "Magnus Carlsen is his hero," he said. "After the game, he was very excited and thrilled. He was jumping and sharing his joy and happiness. He was super excited."

Magnus Carlsen is his hero (...) He was very excited and thrilled [to draw the game]. He was jumping and sharing his joy.
—Father of Aarit Kapil

His father, himself just a casual player, explained that he introduced the game to his son when he was five. "Within a week, he had beaten me. I thought that if he beats me at that age, there was some potential in him."

Aarit started excelling in national and international youth events. One particular highlight was when he beat veteran GM Raset Ziatdinov in the 15th KIIT International Chess Festival in Bhubaneswar, a few months after turning nine, becoming one of the youngest to ever do so in a classical game.

Now Aarit spends up to six hours a day working on chess. "He just loves chess. Chess is his passion. He doesn't like to play video games or watch movies. He only plays chess."

He just loves chess. Chess is his passion. He doesn't like to play video games or watch movies. He only plays chess.
—Father of Aarit Kapil

The rising young talent now works with IM Vishal Sareen, both in person when he's at home in New Delhi and online when he's out playing in events. "He is as good as anyone for his age. He can already solve deep studies with almost 80-90 percent accuracy," Vishal told Chess.com.

"He can make deep calculations and likes to experiment all the time. He is playful and is always ready to do anything related to chess," adding: "He has a good eye for tactics and a good hand to match the speed."

Asked about his potential, he says: "Basically, the ingredients are pretty much there. What remains to be made is something nice from it," adding: "He needs support and a chance to play in stronger tournaments in Europe. If that happens, he can easily become a strong GM. Then if he clicks well by the time he is 15, he can be in the world elite too."

He needs support and a chance to play in stronger tournaments in Europe. If that happens, he can easily become a strong GM.
—Vishal Sareen, coach of Aarit Kapil

Back home in India, the story of a nine-year-old nearly beating Carlsen has captured national interest. Aarit has appeared on national television and in major newspapers—an increasingly familiar path for India’s new generation of chess stars.

In this clip, he was interviewed together with his mother.

When asked what his next goal is, his answer was clear: World Champion. Nothing less!

Aarit is currently competing in the FIDE World Cup Under 10 in Batumi, Georgia, where he is ranked second in his group after scoring 3.5/4. Matchplay begins on July 1.