9-Year-Old Indian Chess Prodigy Aarit Kapil Draws World Champion Magnus Carlsen in Online Blitz

Nine-year-old Aarit Kapil was on the cusp of beating Magnus Carlsen before settling for a draw.

Aarit Kapil, a nine-year-old chess player from New Delhi, has achieved a remarkable feat by drawing against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in an online blitz game. The young prodigy, a fifth-grade student at Somerville School in Mayur Vihar, secured the draw during the Early Titled Tuesday competition.

Kapil, who only began playing chess four years ago, held a winning position against the five-time world champion. However, time constraints ultimately led to a draw on the 49th move.

The Titled Tuesday tournament is an exclusive event open only to players holding FIDE titles. It attracts elite grandmasters from around the globe, including names like Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and former world champion Vladimir Kramnik. Aarit, a Candidate Master, participated in the online tournament from his hotel room in Batumi, Georgia. He is currently competing in the FIDE World Cadets Cup in the under-10 category.

This achievement further solidifies Aarit's growing reputation in the chess world. Last December, he became the third-youngest player in the world to defeat a Grandmaster in classical time control, achieving victory against 66-year-old Raset Ziatdinov of the United States.

According to Aarit's father, Vijay, Aarit's journey into chess began when his elder sister, Aarna, taught him the game at the age of five. "In one week, he was beating us," Vijay told the Indian Express. "We saw his potential, so we got him working with a coach. And in a few days, he won an international online tournament."

The young chess star dedicates five to six hours each day to honing his skills under the guidance of IM Vishal Sareen. His parents learned of his draw against Carlsen when he excitedly announced, "draw kar diya, Carlsen ko draw kar diya" (I drew, I drew with Carlsen).

The game format provided each player with three minutes at the start, with a one-second increment per move. By the 25th move, Aarit had gained an advantage on the board. However, he faced increasing time pressure, with only 31 seconds remaining compared to Carlsen's one minute and 25 seconds.

Aarit maintained a winning position until the 46th move, at which point he had only seven seconds left on his clock. The game ultimately ended in a draw after 49 moves. Despite the draw, Carlsen finished third in the 664-player tournament, even while on vacation with his wife, Ella.

Vijay shared a lighthearted anecdote about his son's dedication to chess. "Sometimes when he has a bad tournament, we jokingly tell him 'tera chess rukwadenge' (We'll stop your chess)," he said. "He says, 'jo marzi karlo, chess nahi chhodunga' (Do whatever you can, I won't stop playing chess)."

Vijay, who works as a mutual fund distributor in Delhi, emphasized Aarit's singular focus: "Bas chess hi karta hai. Aur kuch nahi karta. (only chess, nothing else)." The family is currently seeking sponsors to support Aarit's chess career and enable him to participate in a greater number of international events.

This achievement comes on the heels of another young Indian player challenging Carlsen. Just weeks prior, 19-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju defeated the Norwegian champion at the Norway Chess tournament, highlighting the rising talent in Indian chess.