Three-year-old chess prodigy Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha celebrates becoming the world’s youngest player to earn an official FIDE rating (Photo: Social Media)
A remarkable milestone that has cropped up in the world of chess has been scripted by a child barely old enough for preschool. Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, a prodigy from Madhya Pradesh, has now officially become the youngest rated chess player in history and set a new benchmark for early brilliance in competitive sport.
His achievement at such a tender age has captured the attention of international chess circles and triggered fresh conversations about talent, discipline and early learning.
The record now is in the name of Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, who gained his first FIDE rating at three years, seven months and twenty days on the December 2025 FIDE rating list, debuting with a rapid rating of 1572.. His journey through official tournaments, where he had to score points against at least five opponents, has surprised even seasoned players and enthusiasts.
Sarwagya is a chess enthusiast hailing from Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. Born in 2022, he showed an uncanny ability to grasp patterns and recall details from an early age. His family soon realized that he responds to intellectual stimulation in ways far beyond his age and thus introduced him to chess.
In the year 2025, Sarwagya is three years and seven months old and has become the youngest ever in this respect to enter the global chess rating system.
His father, Siddharth Singh, played a very pivotal role in nurturing his chess journey. After realizing how quickly his son could learn, he arranged personal coaching to ensure the child received structured guidance. He has openly expressed hopes of seeing Sarwagya become a grandmaster one day.
Sarwagya’s mother, Neha Singh Kushwaha, said she first signed him up for a class in taekwondo because she wanted to reduce his screen time. Instead, he wandered into the chess academy next door and was soon smitten with the game that would become his passion.
To secure his official rating of 1572, Sarwagya defeated players considerably older than him. They included:
Their ages, being tenfold greater than his, make his victory truly exceptional.
The previous record was held by Kolkata's Anish Sarkar, who received his rating at three years, eight months and nineteen days last November. Sarwagya surpassed it by almost a month.
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Disclaimer: Information is based on publicly available reports and early media coverage. Details about the child’s achievements may evolve with future updates.
