In an unprecedented achievement in competitive chess, three-year-old Indian prodigy Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha has officially become the youngest player in history to obtain a FIDE rating. At just three years, seven months, and twenty days old, the nursery school student from Madhya Pradesh has surpassed his compatriot Anish Sarkar’s previous record set in November 2024.
Kushwaha’s remarkable accomplishment required defeating multiple FIDE-rated opponents in official tournaments across India, ultimately earning him a rapid chess rating of 1,572. This rating system, distinct from player rankings, serves as an objective measure of competitive strength based on performance against other rated competitors.
The chess phenom’s father, Siddharth Singh, expressed immense pride in his son’s achievement, telling Indian media outlets that they aspire for him to become a grandmaster. This milestone adds another chapter to India’s growing legacy in competitive chess, a nation that has produced legendary players including current world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and five-time World Cup winner Viswanathan Anand.
For context, the world’s top rapid chess player Magnus Carlsen currently maintains a rating of 2,824, illustrating the competitive landscape into which young Kushwaha has entered. The International Chess Federation requires players to defeat at least one FIDE-rated opponent to obtain an official rating, making Kushwaha’s achievement particularly impressive given his age and limited competitive experience.