India's Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha has become the youngest player in chess history to earn an official Fide rating at the age of three years, seven months and 20 days. The toddler from Madhya Pradesh achieved a rapid rating of 1,572, surpassing the previous record held by compatriot Anish Sarkar, who was three years, eight months and 19 days old when he reached the milestone in November last year.
To obtain a Fide rating, a player must defeat at least one Fide-rated opponent. Kushwaha achieved this by beating three rated players in tournaments across his state and other parts of India. A Fide rating measures a player's strength based on performance, distinct from a ranking. For context, world number one Magnus Carlsen holds a rapid rating of 2,824.
Kushwaha's father, Siddharth Singh, expressed pride in his son's achievement, telling Indian news channel ETV Bharat: 'It's a matter of great pride and honour for us that our son has become the youngest chess player in the world to achieve a FIDE ranking. We want him to become a grandmaster.'
India continues to produce top chess talent, including world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and five-time World Cup winner Viswanathan Anand.
