A 3-year-old boy from India has made chess history by becoming the youngest player ever to receive an official rating from the International Chess Federation.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, the federation announced on Facebook that Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha had entered the record books.
“At just 3 years, 7 months, and 20 days old, Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha is the youngest player on the December 2025 FIDE rating list, debuting with a rapid rating of 1572,” the organization wrote, celebrating his achievement.
To receive an official rating from the International Chess Federation (commonly known as FIDE), a player must score points against at least five already rated opponents, according to NBC News. The outlet also notes that the minimum rating required is 1400.
Kushwaha, who comes from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, was about 2 years old when he first began playing chess, his father Siddharth Singh told local outlet The Indian Express.
The young prodigy now spends four to five hours a day on the game. One of those hours is dedicated to training at a chess center in the city of Sagar, while the remaining time is spent practicing online.
“We encouraged him to take up chess last year because we noticed how quickly he absorbed new information,” his father told The Indian Express. “Within a week of being taught, he could identify all the pieces correctly. He loves the game. If you wake him up in the middle of the night and ask him to play, he’ll happily sit at the board for hours. What really sets him apart is his ability to stay focused and not get restless like most children his age.”
Kushwaha’s successes in 2025 include wins over opponents Yogesh Namdev, 20, Abhijeet Awasthi, 22, and Shubham Chourasiya, 29, according to NBC News. Namdev holds a rating of 1696, Awasthi is rated 1542 and Chourasiya 1559.
The previous record for the youngest rated player was held by another Indian child, Anish Sarkar, whose rating last year was 1550 at the age of 3 years, 8 months and 19 days, NBC News reported.
