This 4-Year-Old Chess Prodigy From Kolkata Has Experts In Awe

What would you imagine a typical toddler doing at home? Most would say sleeping, playing, or watching cartoons. However, 4-year-old Anish Sarkar is doing something out of the ordinary, outsmarting experts and leaving them in awe. Read to know more. 

Anish, who became the youngest-rated chess player in the world by earning his first FIDE rating when he was just 3 years old, has amazed Chess Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, India’s second-ever Grandmaster. Anish was enrolled in the latter's chess academy by his father as a pastime however, his exceptional talent caught everyone’s attention in no time. Anish looked up to chess stars IM Levy Rozman and GM Magnus Carlsen as his idols and started following in their footsteps.

GM Dibyendu Barua shared that the toddler would watch chess videos on a loop and when he sat down to play, he would solely focus on the game without any distractions. He also revealed that the child was so focused that at times he would forget about eating and practice his moves for 7 to 8 hours at a stretch. “I am astounded. I have never seen anyone like this boy,” GM Dibyendu Barua said in an interview. 

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Anish was 3 years and 2 months old when videos of him showcasing advanced chess concepts like smothered mate and classic double-rook sacrifice checkmate started garnering attention. He played his first tournament, a rapid event in which he scored 5/11. In the same event, he got a chance to play against India's current number-one, GM Arjun Erigaisi.

Anish also made his debut at the West Bengal U9 Championship in October last year, where he played against opponents who were 5 - 6 years older than him. Despite the significant age gap, he managed to finish 24th among the 140 players. 

In an interview with the Times of India, his mother shared “We introduced him to different YouTube channels, including cartoons like Peppa Pig, but he was drawn to chess videos.” 

She further added that Anish’s journey started even before his third birthday. “By January, his interest had grown, and he would watch those videos endlessly. I bought him a chessboard and pieces, thinking it was safe for him to handle even if I couldn't supervise him closely." 

His parents do not want to pressurise him as he is still very young. They want him to explore and do whatever he wants as of now. "We're happy to support him quietly from behind and let him make his mark, wherever his interests lead him. There's no pressure on him; we just want him to enjoy himself. My time is fully devoted to him," his mother shared