While most children his age are absorbed in cartoons or simply playing with toys, young Anish Sarkar found his fascination in the quiet strategy of chess pieces, sparking a journey few could fathom.
At just three years, eight months and 19 days, the kid from Kaikhali in north Kolkata recently became the youngest rated chess player in history with a FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating of 1555.
He surpassed the previous record set by India’s Tejas Tiwari, who received a FIDE rating of 1149 in July 2023 aged just five.
Anish is already playing in tournaments, solving chess puzzles and watching chess videos on YouTube.
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, who met the prodigy last month in Kolkata, was full of praise.
“First of all, it’s amazing to see the level he’s at. My nephew is turning four, he’s a bright young child, but I don’t see him getting a rating of 1500 anytime soon,” Carlsen told news agency Press Trust of India.
“It is very impressive. Most of all, (Anish should) try to enjoy it as much as he can. Don’t think about ratings, results, titles and so on. They will come automatically; just do what you love.”
Anish’s story has gone viral thanks to ChessBase India, which documented his extraordinary journey.
It published several videos of the boy demonstrating advanced concepts such as the smothered mate and the classic double-rook sacrifice checkmate.
According to The Times of India, the young prodigy took his first steps into tournament play by scoring an impressive 5 out of 11 in a rapid event, where he also played against India’s No. 1 and world No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi.
Anish made his classical debut at the West Bengal under-nine Championship last month when he faced opponents up to six years older than him. He scored a stunning 5.5 out of 8 and finished 24th among 140 players. Two of his wins came against rated players.
He played in another tournament for children under 13 years a week later and fulfilled the minimum score required for obtaining a FIDE rating.
His mother told The Times of India that Anish’s chess journey started almost a year ago, before his third birthday. “We introduced him to different YouTube channels, including cartoons like Peppa Pig, but he was drawn to chess videos.”
“By January, his interest had grown, and he would watch those videos endlessly. I bought him a chessboard and pieces, thinking it was safe for him to handle even if I couldn’t supervise him closely. He was good with numbers and had learnt to count.”
The toddler has now been put in a special group led by Indian grandmaster Dibyendu Barua.
Said Barua: “We’ve put him in a special group where he trains for seven to eight hours. Sometimes, he even comes to my home to play, and once he sits down at the board, he doesn’t get up. His focus is truly astounding.”
His parents emphasised that they never put any pressure on their son but just want to support his passion.
Anish’s emergence comes as India witnesses an exciting era in chess, with young talents like Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh Dommaraju shining internationally.
