Chess Sensation: 9-Year-Old Indian Player Draws with Magnus Carlsen in Online Tournament OR Magnus Carlsen Held to Draw by 9-Year-Old Indian Chess Prodigy in Online Clash OR Indian Chess Prodigy, 9, Secures Draw Against World Champion Magnus Carlsen

Chess Prodigy: Nine-Year-Old Aarit Kapil Draws Against Magnus Carlsen

In an astonishing turn of events, nine-year-old Indian chess player Aarit Kapil managed to secure a draw against the world's top-ranked player, Magnus Carlsen. The feat occurred during the 'Early Titled Tuesday' online chess tournament, marking a significant moment for the young prodigy.

Magnus Carlsen deep in thought during a chess match (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Aarit Kapil, who recently achieved second place in the Under-9 National Championship, displayed remarkable skill by dominating the game and placing the five-time world champion, Carlsen, in a disadvantageous position.

Despite his strong start, time constraints hindered the young Indian's ability to fully capitalize on his advantage. The game eventually concluded in a draw during an endgame scenario involving a rook versus two minor pieces.

The talented player from Delhi participated in the event while in Georgia, where he is currently competing in the under-10 World Championship. He has demonstrated his prowess by winning his initial two rounds and is set to continue with his third game on Wednesday.

Adding to India's chess achievements, V Pranav emerged as the victor in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' tournament, accumulating an impressive 10 points out of a possible 11.

American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Carlsen both scored 9.5 points, with Niemann ultimately securing second place due to tiebreaks.

In other news, Magnus Carlsen recently achieved a historic milestone by reaching a 2900 rating in freestyle chess, a feat never before accomplished in any format of the game.

Carlsen, who has maintained his position as the world's number one player for nearly 15 years, previously attained his peak classical chess rating of 2882 in May 2014.

It's important to note that the new freestyle chess ratings are now managed by the Freestyle Chess organization, separate from FIDE, the global chess governing body.

"My wife (Ella Victoria) is way more attracted to me now that I've achieved 2900," Carlsen jokingly remarked to Freestyle Chess after learning about his rating.

The freestyle ratings calculation considered five tournaments: Weissenhaus 2024, Singapore 2024, Weissenhaus 2025, Paris 2025, and Karlsruhe 2025, encompassing 578 players who participated in at least one event over the course of two years.

Fellow Indian chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa holds the fourth position with 2773 points, following Carlsen (2909), Hikaru Nakamura (2818), and Fabiano Caruana (2804).