At 3, Indian prodigy Sarwagya becomes youngest ever with a FIDE rating

Indian chess talent Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha has become the youngest to earn an official FIDE rating after winning five matches against higher-rated opponents

Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, 3, has created history in the chess world by becoming the youngest player ever to earn an official FIDE rating. He achieved this milestone at just three years, seven months and 20 days, The New York Times reported.

 

Born in 2022 and hailing from Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, Sarwagya has been officially listed by FIDE -- the global chess federation that requires players to score points against at least five rated opponents in recognised events.

 

His debut rating stands at 1,572, well above the minimum threshold of 1,400. According to chess.com, he won five of the eight rated matches he played. His victories came against older and higher-rated opponents, including 22-year-old Abhijeet Awasthi (rating 1,542), 29-year-old Shubham Chourasiya (1,559) and 20-year-old Yogesh Namdev (1,696).

 

Breaking an Indian record

 

Sarwagya has surpassed the previous record set in November 2024 by another Indian player, Anish Sarkar, who earned his first FIDE rating at the age of three years, eight months and 19 days.

 

His father, Siddharth Singh, told The Indian Express, “We pushed him into chess last year because we noticed his mind was a sponge and he would pick up things very quickly. In a week of being taught chess, he could name all the pieces accurately.”

 

In another interview with ETV Bharat, Singh said, “It’s a matter of great pride and honour for us that our son has become the youngest chess player in the world to achieve a FIDE ranking. We want him to become a grandmaster.”

 

He said the family hired a coach after observing how quickly Sarwagya learnt the basics. “He learnt the rules and the movements of chess so quickly that we felt we should further educate him on chess. He played chess for about six hours a day and then became an expert.”

 

India’s rising chess influence

 

India continues to strengthen its position in global chess. Less than a year ago, Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest world chess champion at 18. The country is also home to legendary five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.

 

The current record for the youngest grandmaster belongs to Abhimanyu Mishra, who achieved the title at 12 years, four months and 25 days.

 

How a player can earn an official FIDE rating

 

To earn a FIDE rating, a player must take part in tournaments that are officially recognised by FIDE. Players can receive three types of ratings -- Standard, Rapid and Blitz -- depending on the time controls used in the games.

 

For a standard rating, you must play at least five matches against opponents who already have a FIDE rating and score at least half a point, which means securing at least one draw in those games.