Ashwath Kaushik Wikipedia: Chess is a game of strategy, logic, and skill that has fascinated millions of people for centuries. But what does it take to become a chess master, let alone a grandmaster? For most players, it takes years of practice, study, and dedication to reach the highest level of the game. But for some, it seems that chess talent is innate and extraordinary. Such is the case of Ashwath Kaushik, an eight-year-old boy from Singapore who recently became the youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster in a classical tournament game.
Quick Info
| Ashwath Kaushik | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ashwath Kaushik Sriram |
| Date of birth | August 9, 2015 |
| Place of birth | Chennai, India |
| Current residence | Singapore |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Tamil |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Occupation | Student, chess player |
| Chess title | Candidate Master |
| Links | Instagrma- #ashwathkaushik Homepage- Newsunzip |
Birthday, Parents, Nationality
Ashwath Kaushik is an 8-year-old Indian-origin boy who moved to Singapore with his family seven years ago. He is a student at the Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) and a member of the Singapore Chess Federation. He started playing chess when he was four years old, after his parents introduced him to the game. Within a couple of months, he was beating them and other members of his family. He soon developed a passion for chess and began to play in tournaments and online platforms. He also received coaching from various chess experts, including GM Zhang Zhong, GM Baskaran Adhiban, and IM Kevin Goh.
Ashwath is a friendly, cheerful, and humble boy who loves to learn new things and have fun. He enjoys reading books, playing video games, and watching movies. He also likes to snack on Juicy Drop candy, which his parents try to limit to avoid energy spikes and falls. His favorite chess players are GM Magnus Carlsen, the world champion, and GM Viswanathan Anand, the Indian legend. His dream is to become a grandmaster himself and play in the World Chess Championship.
Ashwath Kaushik’s parents, Kaushik Sriram and Rohini Ramachandran, are also very proud and supportive of their son. They said: “We are very happy and amazed by Ashwath’s achievement. He has always shown a great interest and talent for chess, and we have tried to encourage him and provide him with the best opportunities and resources.
We are very grateful to his coaches, his school, and the Singapore Chess Federation for their guidance and support. We are also very thankful to the chess community and the media for their recognition and appreciation. We hope that Ashwath will continue to enjoy chess and pursue his dreams.”
How did he beat a grandmaster?
Ashwath Kaushik achieved his historic feat on February 20, 2024, at the 22nd Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland, a nine-round Swiss system tournament with a time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment per move. He was seeded 59th among the 127 participants, with a rating of 1892. In the fourth round, he faced GM Jacek Stopa, a 37-year-old Polish player with a rating of 2351. The game lasted for three hours and ended with Ashwath delivering a checkmate with his queen and rook.
The game was a Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation, one of the most popular and complex openings in chess. Ashwath played with the black pieces and followed the main line until move 15, when he deviated with a novelty, 15…Qc7. This move was not found in any chess database and surprised his opponent, who spent more than 20 minutes to reply. The game then became sharp and tactical, with both sides launching attacks on the opposite wings.
He sacrificed a pawn to open up the position and create threats against the white king. He also defended well against Stopa’s counterplay and found some accurate moves to maintain the initiative. On move 31, he made a decisive breakthrough with 31…d5, opening the center and exposing the white king. Stopa tried to resist, but Ashwath was relentless and delivered the final blow with 38…Qf1+, forcing Stopa to resign.
The game has been annotated by GM Rafael Leitao, a Brazilian chess grandmaster and coach, who praised Ashwath’s performance and called it “a masterpiece of attacking chess”. You can see the full game and analysis here.
What does this mean for chess and Ashwath?
With this victory, Ashwath Kaushik, at the tender age of eight years, six months, and 11 days, became the youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster in a classical tournament game. He broke the record set just a week before by Leonid Ivanovic from Serbia, who was eight years and 11 months old when he beat GM Milko Popchev from Bulgaria. He also joined a prestigious list of young talents who have beaten a grandmaster before the age of 10, such as GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, GM Abhimanyu Mishra, and GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. You can see the full list in the table below.
| Youngest Players To Defeat A GM In Classical Chess (February 2024) | Year | Player | Rating | Age | Opponent | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2024 | Ashwath Kaushik | 1892 | 8 years, 6 months, 11 days | Jacek Stopa | 2351 |
| 2 | 2024 | Leonid Ivanovic | 1865 | 8 years, 11 months, 7 days | Milko Popchev | 2193 |
| 3 | 2012 | Awonder Liang | 1832 | 9 years, 3 months, 20 days | Larry Kaufman | 2406 |
| 4 | 2011 | Hetul Shah | 1817 | 9 years, 6 months | Nurlan Ibrayev | 2407 |
| 5 | 2014 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2057 | 9 years, 7 months, 27 days | Andrey Zhigalko | 2600 |
| 6 | 2022 | Aaron Mendes | 1970 | 9 years, 10 months, 0 days | Razvan Preotu | 2445 |
| 7 | 2019 | Abhimanyu Mishra | 2120 | 9 years, 10 months, 28 days | James Tarjan | 2402 |
| 8 | 2023 | Faustino Oro | 2325 | 10 years, 0 months, 0 days | Federico Perez Ponsa | 2527 |
| 9 | 2017 | Marc’ Andria Maurizzi | 1841 | 10 years, 1 month, 17 days | Fabien Libiszewski | 2542 |
| 10 | 2015 | Vincent Keymer | 2371 | 10 years, 2 months, 30 days | Alexandr Karpatchev | 2472 |
| 11 | 2016 | Praggnanandhaa R | 2339 | 10 years, 5 months, 9 days | R. R Laxman | 2435 |
| 12 | 2018 | Bharath Subramaniyam | 2196 | 10 years, 7 months, 17 days | Deepan Chakkravarthy | 2531 |
This remarkable achievement has attracted worldwide attention and admiration from the chess community and beyond. Ashwath has received congratulatory messages from many chess celebrities, such as GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Judit Polgar, and GM Susan Polgar. He has also been featured in various media outlets, such as Chess.com, The Guardian, India Times, and India Today. He has been hailed as a chess prodigy and a future star of the game.
Ashwath Kaushik himself is very happy and proud of his accomplishment, but he also remains humble and focused on his goals. He said: “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. But I also know that this is just one game and I have to keep working hard and improving my chess skills. I want to become a grandmaster and play in the World Chess Championship someday.”
Ashwath Kaushik is an eight-year-old boy from Singapore who has made history by becoming the youngest player ever to beat a grandmaster in a classical tournament game. He is a chess prodigy who has shown exceptional talent and skill in the game. He is also a friendly, cheerful, and humble boy who loves to learn new things and have fun. He has a passion for chess and a dream to become a grandmaster and play in the World Chess Championship. He has received worldwide attention and admiration for his remarkable achievement, and he has inspired many people with his story. He is a shining example of what is possible with hard work, dedication, and talent.
