For a 12 year old, Abhimanyu is resolute, intensely focused, and fearless in battle; much like his namesake – the mythological hero from the epic Mahabharatha.
Abhimanyu Mishra, became the world's youngest chess grandmaster in June 2021 at the age of 12 years, 4 months and 25 days, breaking the 19-year-old record of Sergey Karjakin in Budapest. Karjakin, who had played against Magnus Carlsen in the world championship in 2016, earned his title at the age of 12 years and 7 months.
The Youngest GM in the world
The “youngest” title is not new to the 12 year old. In addition to his well-earned “youngest IM and GM” titles, Abhimanyu also holds the record for being the youngest national chess master, USA, at 9 years, 2 months and 17 days. In 2019, he achieved the world’s youngest IM title at the age of 10, crossing over R Praggnanandhaa's record at the age of 10 years, nine months and three days.
Cracking GM Sergey Karjakin’s long-standing record of world’s youngest GrandMaster itself is an impressive feat for young Abhimanyu. The tween has cracked the 19 year old record at 12 years and 7 months. Several attempts were made earlier at cracking Karjakin’s record, especially by India's talent pool of pre-teens. D Gukesh almost came close to breaking it two years back, missing it by 17 days.
For a GM title, a player requires an Elo rating of minimum 2500 and must score three norms on the way. For a norm, the player must play against a minimum two players. They must be from national federations other than the player’s own. Also, the norms can be entitled only in those tournaments where at least 50 percent of the opponents are titled players with a minimum rating of 2380 and at least one-third are GMs. Abhimanyu had a Tournament Performance Rating of 2739 before hitting his GM title and had an unparalleled 8/9 - three points ahead of the rest of the players.
Soon after becoming the highest-rated under-9 player in the world, Abhimanyu got invited to a rigorous three-day assessment by the Kasparov Chess Foundation in November 2018. He was the youngest of the invitees among the few who were handpicked for the Young Stars program. The opportunity brought him the exposure and the much-desired interaction with the legendary player, being able to present games and get feedback from Kasparov twice a year. It also facilitated individualized training sessions with GM coaches. Like any other chess player, it has been a dream-come-true for the pre-teen to have the iconic Kasparov as mentor.
In pursuit of success
Like his namesake hero who was introduced to the basics of warfare while in his mother’s womb, Abhimanyu toddled onto the battlefield on board at the tender age of two and a half. His father Hemant Mishra introduced the chess pieces to his little boy through fascinating stories. Though from a “computerized” generation, Abhimanyu is raised on books on chess, as heavy as "Silman's Complete Endgame Course" by the age of 6.
But learning the sport wasn’t enough. Abhimanyu had to work on his physical stamina to battle against skilled opponents who were five times older to him. As a young boy he had to fight against sleep, fatigue and the odd hours of travelling across the time-zones.
At the age of 5.5, in the New Jersey Open, Abhimanyu was in an almost-winning position when the game stretched past midnight. His elder opponent, who figured that the young player may not be able to take the lag, stalled the match, pushing it for another hour. Little Abhimanyu offered a draw which the opponent turned down. That defeat was the beginning.
Abhimanyu with his father’s help, began the survival regimen – simulations, hacks, late-night practices – every weapon that would aid his survival in a mercilessly competitive universe of chess.
Abhimanyu developed a pattern of random sleep, taking naps between games and would take bathroom breaks to pour cold water on his face to stay awake. Two years back, for his previous IM norm, Abhimanyu went on a 10-day mock drill at home to tune in to California time that lags behind New Jersey by three hours. To train his body and change his sleeping patterns, the young boy took walks outside late-night and extended his preparations till 3 a.m. every night.
The pandemic months that were devoid of events were turned into extensive training.
Winning Milestones
It wasn’t an easy walk for the young boy in his pursuit of his dream. The schedule was hectic, constantly checking on possible tournaments to prove his mettle, raising funds, handling flight timings as well as squeezing through Covid-19 protocols across the globe.
There were rough patches where he had to hang on patiently. Would anyone guess that he had gone through 35 games without winning even once? And, there were uncertainties that he fought through – including cancelled tournaments due to players testing positive. But Abhimanyu has bounced back from every adversity with determination, backed by the assurance of his previous title as the world's youngest International Master. He knows victory is achievable!
Read the story of Tani Adewumi: The Miracle Boy of Chess
Being on the run for the coveted title was hard on his family as well. Despite his success, Abhimanyu does not have a corporate sponsor. His travel and tournament expenses have been met through fundraising. The GoFundMe page for Abhimanyu - 'Support Abhi to become the youngest GM in the world' has succeeded in raising upto $14,000 in contributions.
Travelling and being away from home has become the norm for the 12 year old. Abhimanyu and his father had camped in Budapest months before the tournament kicked off. It's one of the few cities that hosts over-the-board chess tournaments during the current pandemic season.
Over two months he had earned two norms, his final one being a win over Indian GM Leon Mendonca.
Winding Up
Hemant, Abhimanyu’s father, has left the choice of his future games in the hands of the 12 year old to choose the path he wants in life - even the decision to continue with chess. But the young GM is already making big plans of winning his next milestone – of becoming world chess champion one day.
Stay with Mind Mentorz for more inspiring stories of the gems from the world of chess. Reach out to us at 9606847428 for more information on our chess coaching programs for kids.