3-Year-Old Becomes the World’s Youngest Rated Chess Player

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Una publicación compartida por Sarwagya singh kushwaha (@sarwagya_singh_kushwaha)

What were you doing when you were 3 years old? Maybe enjoying some daycare naps or mastering the crayons? Well, a toddler from India named Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha has spent his time a little differently and just became the youngest chess player to get an official rating from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) at 3 years, 7 months, and 20 days old.

Sargawya started playing when he was 2.5 years old. Those around him were surprised by how he looked just like any other kid until his prodigal gifts became apparent. Now, he spends three to four hours a day playing online chess and studying techniques by watching videos, and one hour at a chess training center.

Right now, he holds a rating of 1,572. The minimum a player must have to earn a rating is 1,400, and should it fall, they become un-rated players. They also have to have played against five rated players and score points against them with a draw or a victory in FIDE-approved tournaments. “You ask him anything and there’s no hesitation in answering. He can also hold his own on the board against older kids. You can see his guts when he plays,” his coach Nitin Chaurasiya 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,” Sarwagya’s father shares. “He loves the sport a lot. If you wake him up in the middle of the night and ask him to play, he will for hours without a break. But what separates him from other kids his age is his patience to sit on the board and not get restless.”

Most shockingly, the gap between the former record-holder for the youngest rated player is not that wide. Just last year, fellow Indian pre-schooler Anish Sarkar had gotten the title at 3 years, 8 months, and 19 days old.

To stay up to date with the toddler’s chess journey, you can follow Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha on Instagram.