Magnus Carlsen Held to Draw by Nine-Year-Old Indian Chess Prodigy; Carlsen Jokes About 2900 Freestyle Rating Boost

Chess Prodigy: Nine-Year-Old Indian Holds Magnus Carlsen to a Draw

In an astonishing turn of events, nine-year-old Indian chess player Aarit Kapil secured a draw against world number one Magnus Carlsen in the "Early Titled Tuesday" online chess tournament.

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

Kapil, a recent runner-up in the Under-9 National Championship, not only held his own but also put Carlsen in a potentially losing position. The young prodigy demonstrated remarkable skill, dominating the game against the five-time world champion.

However, time constraints prevented Kapil from capitalizing on his advantage, ultimately resulting in a draw during a rook versus two minor pieces endgame.

The young chess player from Delhi participated in the online event while in Georgia, where he is currently competing in the under-10 World Championship. He has started strong, winning his first two rounds, and is set to continue with his third game.

In related news, Indian player V Pranav emerged victorious in the "Early Titled Tuesday" tournament, accumulating an impressive 10 points out of 11 rounds. American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Magnus Carlsen both scored 9.5 points, with Niemann securing second place due to tiebreaks.

Carlsen's Recent Milestone

Magnus Carlsen recently achieved a historic feat by reaching a 2900 rating in freestyle chess. This milestone is unprecedented in any chess format.

Adding a touch of humor, Carlsen joked about his achievement, stating that his wife, Ella Victoria, is "way more attracted to me now that I've achieved 2900," after learning about his freestyle chess rating.

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

Other notable freestyle chess rankings include Indian chess talent Praggnanandhaa, who holds the fourth position with 2773 points. He trails behind Carlsen (2909), Hikaru Nakamura (2818), and Fabiano Caruana (2804).