Nine-Year-Old Ethan Pang Defeats Three Grandmasters, Nears 2300 Rating Barrier

Nine-year-old CM Ethan Pang, the youngest-ever 2200 player, made waves in the chess world once again as he defeated three grandmasters in a recent classical tournament in Hungary and came close to breaking the 2300 rating barrier for the first time.

Pang, who previously made headlines in July for breaking IM-elect Faustino Oro’s record to become the youngest player in chess history to achieve a rating of 2200, showcased his exceptional skills at the Vezerkepzo IM tournament in Budapest, Hungary.

The young prodigy from London finished with an impressive 4.5/8 score and a 2300 rating performance after defeating three grandmasters and holding one IM to a draw. Despite the GMs being rated as low as 2365, 2302, and 2321, they had “decades of experience in high-level tournaments,” as noted by the Guardian’s Leonard Barden.

Pang’s victories against the seasoned grandmasters in a single classical tournament at such a young age were described as a “unique achievement” by Barden, a legendary chess columnist.

In the last year, several cases of under-10 players defeating grandmasters in classical games have been covered by Chess.com. Pang now has three entries in the list of the youngest players to beat a grandmaster, joining the ranks of other young chess prodigies.

His impressive performance at the tournament, which included victories over GMs Milan Pacher, Attilla Czebe, and Zoltan Varga, showcased his exceptional talent and potential in the world of chess. Despite missing the opportunity to break the 2300-barrier virtually, Pang’s rating gain of 20 points was a remarkable feat for a nine-year-old.

Pang’s father attributed his son’s success to consistent practice and the opportunity to compete against strong opponents from a young age. As Pang returns to school, it’s clear that we have not heard the last of this young chess sensation.