Chess Prodigy, 9, Holds Magnus Carlsen to Draw; Indian Player V Pranav Wins Tournament

Chess Sensation: Nine-Year-Old Indian Holds Magnus Carlsen to a Draw

In an astounding turn of events, nine-year-old Indian chess prodigy Aarit Kapil secured a draw against the reigning world number one, Magnus Carlsen, during the 'Early Titled Tuesday' online chess tournament.

Kapil, fresh off his runner-up finish at the Under-9 National Championship, showcased remarkable skill, putting the five-time world champion Carlsen in a precarious, potentially losing position.

However, the young Indian player faced a challenge against the clock. As time dwindled, he was unable to fully capitalize on his advantage. The game ultimately concluded in a draw, with a rook versus two minor pieces endgame.

The young chess player from Delhi participated in the online tournament while in Georgia, where he's currently competing in the under-10 World Championship. He has started strong, winning his first two rounds and eagerly anticipating his third game on Wednesday.

V Pranav, another talented Indian player, emerged victorious in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' tournament, amassing an impressive 10 points out of a possible 11. American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Magnus Carlsen both scored 9.5 points, with Niemann claiming second place due to tiebreaks.

Recently, Magnus Carlsen achieved a historic milestone in freestyle chess, surpassing the 2900 rating mark. This accomplishment is unprecedented in any chess format.

Carlsen has maintained his position as the world's number one player for nearly 15 years, achieving his peak classical chess rating of 2882 in May 2014. It's worth noting that the new freestyle chess ratings are now managed by the Freestyle Chess organization, independently from FIDE, the global governing body for chess.

Carlsen humorously remarked on his achievement, stating, "My wife (Ella Victoria) is way more attracted to me now that I've achieved 2900," after learning about his new rating.

The freestyle ratings calculation considered performances from five tournaments: Weissenhaus 2024, Singapore 2024, Weissenhaus 2025, Paris 2025, and Karlsruhe 2025. The rankings include 578 players who participated in at least one event over the past two years.

Fellow Indian chess star Praggnanandhaa currently holds the fourth position in the freestyle chess rankings with 2773 points, trailing Carlsen (2909), Hikaru Nakamura (2818), and Fabiano Caruana (2804).