Indian Prodigy, 9, Holds Chess Giant Magnus Carlsen to Draw; V Pranav Wins Titled Tuesday

Chess Sensation: Nine-Year-Old Aarit Kapil Draws Against Magnus Carlsen

In an astonishing turn of events, nine-year-old Indian chess prodigy 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)

Aarit Kapil, fresh off his runner-up finish in the Under-9 National Championship, showcased exceptional skill against the five-time world champion. The young player even managed to put Carlsen in a potentially losing position during the game.

However, due to time constraints, the Indian chess player was unable to capitalize on his advantage, resulting in a draw in a rook versus two minor pieces endgame.

Currently competing in the under-10 World Championship in Georgia, the Delhi native participated in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' event remotely. He has started strong, winning his first two rounds, and is set to continue his campaign.

While Aarit Kapil's draw against Carlsen grabbed headlines, fellow Indian player V Pranav emerged as the victor of the 'Early Titled Tuesday' tournament, accumulating an impressive 10 points out of 11.

American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Magnus Carlsen both finished with 9.5 points. Niemann secured second place after tiebreaks.

In other news, Magnus Carlsen recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone by reaching a historic 2900 rating in freestyle chess. This feat marks the highest rating ever achieved in any chess format.

Carlsen, who has maintained the world number one position for almost 15 years, previously attained a peak classical chess rating of 2882 in May 2014. The Freestyle Chess organization now manages the new freestyle chess ratings, independently from FIDE, the global chess governing body.

"My wife (Ella Victoria) is way more attracted to me now that I've achieved 2900," Carlsen joked with Freestyle Chess, upon learning of his rating.

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

Fellow Indian chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa currently holds the fourth position with 2773 points, trailing behind Carlsen (2909), Hikaru Nakamura (2818), and Fabiano Caruana (2804).