At just three years, eight months, and 19 days,
a young boy from Kaikhali in north Kolkata made history on Friday by becoming
the youngest rated chess player ever. Anish Sarkar’s remarkable achievement
reflects a deep fascination with the strategic nuances of chess, setting him on
a journey that few could imagine.
Born on January 26, 2021, Sarkar took up chess just a
year ago and made his competitive debut in October at the West Bengal State
Under-9 Open. There, he impressively defeated two rated players, earning 5.5
out of 8 points and finishing in 24th place. Additionally, he had the
opportunity to compete in an exhibition match against India’s top player and
world No. 4 Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi.
A week later, Sarkar participated in the West Bengal
State Under-13 Open, where he faced five rated players, fulfilling the criteria
needed to earn his first FIDE rating of 1555. The world chess federation
updated the ratings on Thursday, officially recognizing his achievement.
In achieving this milestone, Sarkar surpassed the
previous record held by Tejas Tiwari, who had become the youngest FIDE-rated
player at five years old. This remarkable feat was noted by Dibyendu Barua,
India’s second Grandmaster and Sarkar’s coach, during an interview with the
Press Trust of India. “Anish definitely has potential but he has a long way to
go. We’ve put him in a special group, where he trains for seven to eight
hours,” Barua said.
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