Eight-year-old Singaporean chess prodigy Ashwath Kaushik has shattered the world record by becoming the youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster. This remarkable achievement occurred at the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland, where Ashwath faced off against 37-year-old Polish grandmaster Jacek Stopa in the tournament’s fourth round.
Ashwath’s victory is a significant milestone, surpassing the previous record set by Serbian Leonid Ivanovic, who was approximately five months older at the time of his record-setting game. The event was extensively covered by Chess.com, a premier platform that combines online chess play with news and community features for enthusiasts of the game.
“I felt really exciting and amazing,” Ashwath told Chess.com, sharing his feelings about the victory. He further elaborated on his mindset during the match, saying, “I felt proud of my game and how I played, especially since I was worse at one point but managed to come back from that.”
Born in India in 2015, Ashwath has already distinguished himself in the chess community, having clinched several youth tournaments around the world, including the prestigious World Under-8 Rapid championship in 2022. His daily regimen includes around seven hours of practice, a discipline that his father, Sriram, finds both surprising and challenging, given the family’s lack of a sports background. “Every day is a new discovery, and we sometimes stumble in search of the right pathway for him,” Sriram remarked, indicating the family’s commitment to supporting Ashwath’s burgeoning chess career.