New Delhi: Eight-year-old Ashwath Kaushik, initially from India however residing in Singapore, made headlines on the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in a formidable showdown in opposition to Polish chess grandmaster Jacek Stopa. This outstanding feat not solely earned him recognition but in addition established him because the youngest participant ever to defeat a grandmaster within the classical variant of the sport.
Previously, the file was held by Serbia’s Leonid Ivanovic, additionally eight years outdated however barely older than Kaushik, who defeated 60-year-old Bulgarian grandmaster Milko Popchev on the Belgrade Open simply days prior.
Kaushik, representing Singapore, outplayed Stopa, who at 37 is almost 5 occasions his age. Reflecting on his victory, Kaushik, ranked world No. 37,338 on FIDE, expressed satisfaction in his efficiency, particularly in overcoming a difficult scenario through the recreation.
Despite a setback in opposition to Harry Grieve, Kaushik secured twelfth place within the match and is poised to achieve 84 ranking factors within the upcoming Chess.com listing replace.
Having resided in Singapore for six years, Kaushik first gained consideration when he clinched triple gold within the Under-8 class of the Eastern Asian Youth Championship on the age of six. In the identical yr, he grew to become the World Under-8 Rapid Champion, impressively surpassing the age restrict by two years.
Known for his dedication, Kaushik spends as much as seven hours day by day on chess, fixing quite a few puzzles on his chess program. His outstanding reminiscence permits him to resolve advanced puzzles visually, as confirmed by his father, Kaushik Sriram.
Ashwath Kaushik is the YOUNGEST-EVER participant to beat a GM in classical chess  pic.twitter.com/2ejHYX2a5K
— Chess.com (@chesscom) February 18, 2024
Ashwath’s achievements have been praised by Singaporean grandmaster and CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation, Kevin Goh, who attributes his success to a mix of supportive household, pure expertise, and dedication. However, Goh additionally humorously famous that at eight years outdated, Kaushik nonetheless requires a booster cushion to succeed in the opposite facet of the chessboard.
Acknowledging the position of varied coaches and supporters, Goh stays optimistic about Kaushik’s future within the recreation, whereas recognizing that pursuits might evolve because the younger prodigy grows older.
