8-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Makes History by Defeating Grandmaster

An 8-year-old Chess prodigy from Singapore, Ashwath Kaushik, has made history by becoming the youngest player to ever defeat a grandmaster in an official tournament match. Ashwath defeated Poland’s Jacek Stopa, 37, in the fourth round of the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland, breaking a record set just last month by another 8-year-old player.

“It felt really exciting and amazing, and I felt proud of my game and how I played, especially since I was worse at one point but managed to come back from that,” Ashwath told Chess.com after his historic win.

Ashwath is only the second 8-year-old to defeat a grandmaster, with the first being Leonid Ivanovic from Serbia. The young player has already made a name for himself in the chess community, winning several youth tournaments around the globe.

Ashwath’s father, who doesn’t play chess, shared that his son started learning the game at the age of 4 and now spends up to seven hours a day studying and practicing. “It’s surreal as there isn’t really any sports tradition in our families,” he said. “Every day is a new discovery, and we sometimes stumble in search of the right pathway for him.”

With his impressive skills and dedication to the game, Ashwath’s future in competitive chess looks promising.