Chess prodigy from Kolkata makes history

Kolkata: In a country that has consistently produced chess world champions and Grand Masters of the extraordinary kind, a three years, eight months and 19 days lad from Kaikhali in north Kolkata has pipped the best of them. On an epoch-making Friday, Anish Sarkar became the youngest rated chess player in the game’s history.

Building on his fascination for making moves and strategies as a toddler, Anish has embarked on a journey that has amazed the finest of GMs.

Born on India’s Republic Day in 2021, Anish made his debut in competitive chess with the West Bengal state Under-9 Open as a bundle of talent in October. It was not a mere appearance as he logged an overwhelming 5.5 out of the maximum points to finish at an envious No. 24 in the overall standings. His extraordinary flair for matching wits with his more experienced opponents across the board will be vouched by two rated players - Arav Chatterjee and Ahilaan Baishya, whom he defeated along the way.

Such was his poise and talent that he got an opportunity to play against India No. 1 and World No. 4 Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi in a simultaneous exhibition match during the Bengal rapid rating open.

A week later, Anish, born into a lower middle-class family to parents for whom chess was Greek and Latin, demonstrated his skills in the West Bengal state u-13 open, where he faced older and experienced players. This championship was a vital step in his journey, meeting the requirement of facing five rated players, ultimately earning him an initial FIDE rating of 1555, which was updated on Thursday.

In doing so, he surpassed the previous record standing in the name of Tejas Tiwari, who had become the youngest FIDE-rated player at five years, said India's second GM and his coach Dibyendu Barua.

“He reminds me of Mitrabha Guha (who became a GM at 20). Anish certainly has the potential but he has a long way to go,” Barua, director of Dhanuka Dhunseri Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy, said.

Anish's emergence comes during a particularly exciting era in chess, with young talents like Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, and D. Gukesh sparkling on the international firmament.

Recently, India celebrated a historic double-gold triumph at the Chess Olympiad in both the open and women's categories.

What makes for a wonderful sight is that during tournaments, Anish sits on a stack of chairs just to reach the chessboard.

In one video, Anish is seen playing against three GMs, including Barua and Surya Sekhar Ganguly, while balancing on the chairs while his coach Barua, playfully pinches his cheek.

“We've put him in a special group, where he trains for seven to eight hours. Sometimes, he even comes to my house to play. Once he sits down at the board, he simply won't get up. His focus is truly astounding,” points out Barua.

“We introduced him to different YouTube channels, including cartoons like Peppa Pig, but he was only drawn to chess videos,” his mother said.

“By January, his interest had grown, and he would watch those videos endlessly. I bought him a chess set thinking that it was safe for him to handle even if I couldn't supervise him closely. Since he was already good with numbers and counting, chess quickly became his favourite. That's when we decided to place him under the guidance of Dibyendu Sir,” recalls the mother, who prefers to stay anonymous for now.

“I would rather avoid the limelight at this stage. This is his moment, and he deserves to be the one in focus. We'll be happy to share our names when he becomes a GM,” she said.

Although she holds a master's degree, she chose to be a housewife to support her son.

So who is his idol? ”He absolutely loves watching GothamChess on YouTube, but his real hero is Magnus Carlsen,” his mother says with a smile.

In what could be a major morale-booster to the rising young prodigy, Barua said that they are trying to field him in the upcoming Tata Steel Kolkata Chess where Carlsen has confirmed his participation.