Young Mind, Grand Move: How 9-Year-Old Aarit Stunned the King of Chess

Recently something extraordinary happened in the chess world. A young boy from Delhi, just nine years old, sat in his hotel room in Batumi, Georgia, and took on the World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in a fast-paced online blitz game. The event? The highly competitive Early Titled Tuesday tournament is played exclusively by FIDE-titled players. And the result? A draw that felt like a win for India. His name is Aarit Kapil, and his performance has already become the stuff of legend.What is the Titled Tuesday Tournament?Titled Tuesday is a prestigious weekly online chess event hosted by Chess.com, open only to players with official FIDE titles such as Candidate Master (CM), FIDE Master (FM), International Master (IM), and Grandmaster (GM). The tournament attracts elite names like Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and even legends like Vladimir Kramnik. This specific event, the Early Titled Tuesday, featured 664 titled players from around the world, each competing from different corners of the globe. It was conducted completely online, making it accessible for top players and emerging talents alike. The format was 3+1 blitz, meaning each player started with 3 minutes on the clock, with a 1-second increment added after each move—a format that rewards speed, precision, and nerves of steel. Who is Aarit Kapil?Aarit Kapil is no ordinary child. A fifth-grade student from Mayur Vihar, Delhi, he started playing chess at the age of five, taught by his elder sister Aarna. Within a week, he was beating everyone in the family, and soon after, he won his first online international tournament. By 2025, Aarit had already earned the title of Candidate Master (CM), and in December 2024, he became the third-youngest player in the world and the youngest Indian to defeat a Grandmaster in a classical chess game. That opponent was 66-year-old Raset Ziatdinov from the USA, and Aarit beat him in a 63-move thriller. Today, Aarit trains for five to six hours daily. The Match Against Magnus Carlsen: A Moment of MagicAarit’s game against Magnus Carlsen, the five-time world champion and one of the greatest chess players in history, was one of the most exciting moments of the tournament. The game was a blitz match, meaning both players had only three minutes on the clock, with an extra second added after every move. By the 25th move, Aarit had played so well that he had a clear advantage. His pieces were better placed, and Carlsen was under pressure. At that point, Carlsen still had 1 minute and 25 seconds, while Aarit had only 31 seconds left, but Aarit was still in a winning position. As the game moved into the endgame, Aarit had a rook, and Carlsen had two smaller pieces, which usually gives the player with the rook an edge. But with so little time left, Aarit had to play very fast. By the 46th move, he was down to just 7 seconds, and even though he got one second after each move, it wasn't enough time to think carefully. Because of the time pressure, Aarit couldn’t finish off the win, and the game ended in a draw after 49 moves. Still, it was an incredible performance. After the game, Aarit ran to his parents, full of joy, and shouted: "Draw kar diya, Carlsen ko draw kar diya!" Which means, “I drew with Carlsen!” It was a proud and unforgettable moment for the young chess player.A Story Beyond the ChessboardAarit’s journey is not just about strategy and ratings; it’s about a young boy’s passion, a family’s support, and India’s growing chess culture. In recent years, India has become a powerhouse of chess talent. Teenagers like Gukesh Dommaraju, R Praggnanandhaa are challenging and even defeating top global players, including Carlsen himself. Aarit’s draw is not just a personal achievement; it’s a symbol of India's rising stature in world chess and a reminder that talent knows no age.