A nine-year-old Indian chess prodigy, Aarit Kapil, who has been hailed as the "Sachin Tendulkar of Chess," is seeking financial assistance to further his promising career. This appeal comes after Aarit's recent remarkable achievement of drawing against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in an online blitz game, a feat that has turned heads in the chess world.
Aarit, a fifth-standard student from New Delhi's Mayur Vihar, began playing chess just four years ago. Despite his relatively short time in the game, he has quickly risen through the ranks, demonstrating exceptional talent and dedication. He hones his skills for five to six hours daily under the guidance of IM Vishal Sareen.
His draw against Carlsen occurred during the Early Titled Tuesday competition, an online event exclusively for players with FIDE titles. Aarit, participating from his hotel room in Batumi, Georgia, where he's competing in the FIDE World Cadets Cup under-10 category, held a winning position against the five-time world champion before time constraints led to a draw on the 49th move.
Aarit's father, Vijay, recounted how Aarit's chess journey began, stating that his elder sister, Aarna, taught him the game when he was five. Within a week, Aarit was already beating his family members. Recognizing his potential, his parents enlisted a coach, and soon after, he won an international online tournament.
Adding to his growing list of accomplishments, Aarit also holds the distinction of being the third-youngest player globally to defeat a Grandmaster in classical time control. He achieved this feat last December when he won against 66-year-old Raset Ziatdinov of the United States.
The family is currently seeking sponsors to support Aarit's chess career and enable him to participate in more international events. The draw against Carlsen follows a recent trend of young Indian players challenging the world champion, with 19-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju defeating Carlsen at the Norway Chess tournament just weeks prior.
A similar situation occurred when 8 year old Ashwath Kaushik, an Indian-origin boy from Singapore, became the youngest chess player ever to defeat a grandmaster in a classical game. He defeated 37-year-old Polish grandmaster Jacek Stopa in the fourth round of the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland on February 18, 2024. At the time, Kaushik was six years old when he won the triple gold in the Under-8 category of the Eastern Asian Youth Championship in 2022 and the same year also became the World Under-8 Rapid Champion.
These achievements highlight the rising talent in Indian chess and the potential for young players like Aarit to make a significant impact on the global stage. However, financial constraints often pose a significant challenge for aspiring chess players, hindering their ability to access quality coaching, participate in tournaments, and gain the experience necessary to compete at the highest levels. Ethan Vaz, another young chess player, had to miss his favorite championship one year because "there was no financial support offered to represent India".
Aarit's plea for financial support underscores the need for greater investment in young chess talents to ensure that they can realize their full potential and bring further glory to Indian chess.
