Who is the youngest chess grandmaster of all time? A top 10 list

Who is the youngest chess grandmaster of all time? A top 10 list

Claudia Kogi
updated at June 5, 2023 at 11:15 AM

The game of chess keeps getting younger and younger! Twelve, thirteen, and fourteen-year-olds are now the ones holding the youngest chess grandmaster titles in the arena. The international government is backing up these young talents today thanks to abundant knowledge, consistency, and ongoing competition.

Youngest chess grandmaster
Who are the top 10 youngest chess grandmasters in the world. Photo: Cavan Images
Source: Getty Images

Hard work and brilliance are still vital to succeed in chess, which is the only legacy of the game's early years. This list showcases some of the youngest chess grandmasters as of 2023.

Top 10 youngest chess grandmasters in the world

After an in-depth analysis, Sports Brief has compiled a list detailing some of the world's youngest chess grandmasters ever.

10. Raunak Sadhwani

Grandmaster chess player Raunak Sadhwani is from India. He was a chess prodigy who became a grandmaster at 13. He is the fourth-youngest Indian grandmaster and the ninth-youngest player overall. In 2015, Raunak, an Indian, won the U-10 Commonwealth Championship in New Delhi.

Youngest chess grandmaster as of 2023
Indias Raunak Sadhwani gestures during his round 9 game against the Azerbaijan's team at the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022, in Mahabalipuram on 7 August 2022. Photo: Arun Sankar
Source: Getty Images
  • Name: Raunak Sadhwani
  • Date of birth: 22 December 2005
  • Age: 18 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
  • Title: Grandmaster
  • FIDE rating: 2603 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2628 (November 2022)

9. Wei Yi

Chinese GM Wei Yi is an elite player and one of the greatest chess prodigies in history. Wei became a grandmaster at 13 years, eight months, and 23 days, the 9th youngest in history. At 15, he broke GM Magnus Carlsen's record for the youngest player to reach a rating of 2700, which Wei still holds.

Two years prior, he became the fourth-youngest GM in history at the time (now the eighth-youngest GM ever). And from January 2015 to the end of his candidacy as a junior (in late 2019), Wei ranked first or second on FIDE's list of the top 100 juniors.

  • Name: Wei Yi
  • Date of birth: 2 June 1999
  • Place of birth: Yancheng, Jiangsu
  • Age: 24 years of age as of June 2023
  • Country: China
  • Title: Grandmaster
  • FIDE rating: 2722 (May 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2753 (August 2017)

8. Magnus Carlsen

Grandmaster Sven Magnus En Carlsen of Norway is a five-time World Chess Champion (2013–2023), four-time World Rapid Chess Champion, and six-time World Blitz Chess Champion. Since 1 July 2011, Carlsen has been ranked first in the FIDE world chess rankings. He has the second-longest tenure as the top-rated player in the world, behind only Garry Kasparov.

Top 10 youngest chess grandmasters in the world
Magnus Carlsen during the presentation of players and press conference before the Superbet Rapid Blitz Poland 2023 Chess Tournament in the Grand Chess Tour tournament series, in Warsaw, Poland, on 20 May 2023. Photo: Andrzej Iwanczuk
Source: Getty Images
  • Name: Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen
  • Date of birth: 30 November 1990
  • Age: 33 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: Tønsberg, Norway
  • Country: Norway
  • Title: Grandmaster (2004)
  • FIDE rating: 2853 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2882 (May 2014)

7. Parimarjan Negi

Chess grandmaster Parimarjan Negi is from India. He became a grandmaster at 13 years, four months, and 20 days old, making him the second-youngest grandmaster in history. He became the seventh player to accomplish this milestone at the youngest age as of July 2021.

Youngest chess grandmaster in the world
Professional athlete Parimarjan Neg. Photo: Sumeet Inder Singh
Source: Getty Images

Asian and Indian champion Negi is an athlete. At the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Troms, Norway, he competed on the top board for the Indian team, which won bronze.

  • Name: Parimarjan Negi
  • Date of birth: 9 February 1993
  • Age: 30 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: New Delhi, India
  • Country: India
  • Title: Grandmaster (2006)
  • FIDE rating: 2624 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2671 (October 2013)

6. Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Chess grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov is from Uzbekistan. He was a prodigy in the game of chess, becoming a grandmaster at the age of 13 years, one month, and 11 days. In April 2018, he received the title from FIDE.

India's youngest chess grandmasters of all time
Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan gets ready to compete against Wesley So of USA in round 12 of the Masters Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2023 on 28 January 2023 in Wijk aan Zee near Haarlem, Netherlands. Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos
Source: Getty Images

Abdusattorov defeated Magnus Carlsen, who held the previous record for the youngest World Blitz Champion at 18 in 2009, to win the World Rapid Chess Championship in 2021. He also became the youngest open-world chess champion in any time format at 17 years and three months.

  • Name: Nodirbek Abdusattorov
  • Date of birth: 18 September 2004
  • Age: 19 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  • Country: Uzbekistan
  • Title: Grandmaster (2018)
  • FIDE rating: 2732 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2734 (February 2023)

5. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu

World's youngest chess grandmaster ever
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa of India ponders his next move against Wesley So of USA during their Blitz match on the last day of Tata Steel Chess India 2022 tournament, in Kolkata, on 4 December 2022. Photo: Sankhadeep Banerjee
Source: Getty Images

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is a chess grandmaster from India. He was a prodigy in chess, becoming the second-youngest grandmaster at the age of 12 after being the youngest international master at the age of 10.

When he defeated Magnus Carlsen in a quick game at the Airthings Masters Rapid Chess Tournament on 22 February 2022, he made history by being the youngest player to that point to do so.

  • Name: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa
  • Date of birth: 10 August 2005
  • Age: 17 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Country: India
  • Title: Grandmaster (2018)
  • FIDE rating: 2690 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2691 (March 2023)

4. Javokhir Sindarov

Youngest chess grandmaster in the world
Uzbekistans Javokhir Sindarov (R) gestures during his round 9 game against the Armenia's team at the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022, in Mahabalipuram on 7 August 2022. Photo: Arun Sankar
Source: Getty Images

Chess prodigy Javokhir Sindarov is from Uzbekistan. At 12 years, ten months, and five days, he attained the rank of Grandmaster in October 2018. In October 2017, Sindarov received the designation of International Master. At the Alekhine Memorial in June 2018, he attained his first grandmaster (GM) norm.

In September, he won the second at the World Junior Chess Championship, raising his score to 2500. He earned his third GM norm at the First Saturday tournament in October 2018, making him among the youngest grandmaster in history.

  • Name: Javokhir Sindarov
  • Date of birth: 8 December 2005
  • Age: 17 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: Uzbekistan
  • Country: Uzbekistan
  • Title: Grandmaster (2019)
  • FIDE rating: 2646 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2661 (February 2023)

3. Gukesh Dommaraju

World's youngest chess grandmaster ever
Dommaraju Gukesh during the FIDE Chess World Rapid in Warsaw, Poland, on 28 December 2021. Photo: Foto Olimpik
Source: Getty Images

Grandmaster of chess Dommaraju Gukesh, sometimes known as Gukesh D, was born in India. He is a chess prodigy and the third-youngest grandmaster in history, having received the title from FIDE in March 2019.

When he defeated then-world champion Magnus Carlsen in a game at the Aimchess Rapid Tournament on 16 October 2022, he did so at 16, breaking the record for the youngest player to ever do so. As a result, he is still regarded among India's youngest chess grandmasters of all time.

  • Name: Dommaraju Gukesh
  • Date of birth: 29 May 2006
  • Age: 17 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Country: India
  • Title: Grandmaster (2019)
  • FIDE rating: 2736 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2736 (June 2023)

2. Sergey Karjakin

Youngest chess grandmaster in the world
Sergei Karjakin is seen in an interview at the opening press conference during the World Chess Tournament on 9 March 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Sebastian Reuter
Source: Getty Images

Grandmaster Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, previously of Ukraine, plays chess for Russia. He was a chess prodigy who held the record for being the youngest chess grandmaster in the world until Abhimanyu Mishra eventually beat him to the title at 12 years and seven months old.

1999 Karjakin won the European U-10 Chess Championship, and in 2001, he was crowned the world U-12 Chess Champion. At 11, he received the International Master title; in 2003, he received the Grandmaster title. In 2004, he competed for Ukraine at the Chess Olympiad, winning both team and individual gold.

  • Name: Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
  • Date of birth: 12 January 1990
  • Age: 33 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: Simferopol, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR,
  • Country: Russia (since 2009)
  • Title: Grandmaster (2003)
  • FIDE rating: 2750 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2788 (July 2011)

1. Abhimanyu Mishra

Grandmaster of chess from the United States, Abhimanyu Mishra. He was a chess prodigy who broke Sergey Karjakin's previous record of 12 years and seven months, which had stood since 2002, to become the youngest player to ever qualify for the grandmaster title on 30 June 2021, at the age of 12.

Mishra beat Awonder Liang's previous record for the youngest Expert in the history of the United States Chess Federation by achieving a 2000 USCF rating at seven years, six months, and 22 days.

When he achieved a USCF rating of 2200 at nine years, two months, and 17 days, he beat Liran Zhou's previous record and set a new one for the youngest National Master in US Chess. At the age of 10, he became the youngest international chess master in the world.

  • Name: Abhimanyu Mishra
  • Date of birth: 5 February 2009
  • Age: 14 years of age as of June 2023
  • Place of birth: New Jersey, USA
  • Country: United States
  • Title: Grandmaster (2021)
  • FIDE rating: 2574 (June 2023)
  • Peak rating: 2559 (January 2023)

How old was Andrew Tate when he was named the youngest chess champion?

After defeating a 15-year-old in an under-16 tournament in the American state of Indiana, Andrew Tate claimed he first became a chess champion at five years if age.

The youngest chess grandmasters have rewritten the rules of what is possible by exhibiting extraordinary talent, tenacity, and strategic brilliance at incredibly tender ages. Consequently, they have made the game gain immense fame in sports.

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Authors
Claudia Kogi photo
Claudia Kogi
Claudia Kogi is a Kenyan content creator with over 3 years of experience. Claudia joined Sportsbrief.com as a writer in January 2022, covering sports and relatable content.