Chess Sensation: 9-Year-Old Indian Prodigy Draws with Magnus Carlsen; Pranav Wins Titled Tuesday

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

A remarkable feat has been achieved in the chess world as nine-year-old Indian Aarit Kapil secured a draw against world number one Magnus Carlsen in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' online chess tournament.

Magnus Carlsen in deep thought during a chess match

Kapil, fresh off his runner-up finish in the Under-9 National Championship, showcased exceptional skill by dominating the game and placing the five-time world champion in a precarious, potentially losing position.

However, time constraints hindered the young Indian player's ability to fully capitalize on his advantage. The game ultimately concluded in a draw during a rook versus two minor pieces endgame.

The talented player from Delhi participated in the online tournament while in Georgia, where he is currently competing in the under-10 World Championship. He has started strong, winning his first two rounds, and is set to continue his campaign.

While Kapil's draw against Carlsen was a highlight, Indian player V Pranav emerged as the victor of the 'Early Titled Tuesday' tournament, accumulating an impressive 10 points out of 11 rounds.

American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Carlsen both finished with 9.5 points, with Niemann securing second place due to tiebreaks.

In related news, Magnus Carlsen recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone in freestyle chess, surpassing the 2900 rating mark – a feat never before accomplished in any format of the game.

Carlsen, who has maintained his position as the world's top-ranked player for nearly 15 years, previously reached his peak classical chess rating of 2882 in May 2014.

The freestyle chess ratings are now independently managed by the Freestyle Chess organization, separate from FIDE, the global governing body for chess.

"My wife (Ella Victoria) is way more attracted to me now that I've achieved 2900," Carlsen jokingly remarked to Freestyle Chess, upon learning about his record-breaking rating.

The freestyle ratings calculation encompassed five tournaments: Weissenhaus 2024, Singapore 2024, Weissenhaus 2025, Paris 2025, and Karlsruhe 2025. These events included a total of 578 players who participated in at least one tournament over the past two years.

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