Indian Americans,  though just comprising about 1 per cent of the US population, are flying high. After Kamala Harris became the Vice President of USA in January this year, there have been a clutch of high-level administrative appointments of Indian Americans to the Biden administration, including at the White House, with Atul Keshap appointed this week to take charge of the US Embassy in New Delhi pending the appointment of a full-time ambassador. Now Indian American Abhimanyu Mishra, just 12, has become the youngest chess grandmaster in history.

World chess apex body FIDE formally announced Mishra’s historic feat after the New Jersey resident earned his third GM norm in the Hungarian capital Budapest to earn the highest title of grandmaster in the sport.  

“Congratulations to 12-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra for setting the new world record! @ChessMishra becomes the youngest grandmaster in history, earning his final norm at the tender age of 12 years, 4 months and 25 days,” FIDE posted on its Twitter handle.

The chess prodigy, who earlier crossed the required Elo rating barrier, broke Russian GM Sergey Karjakin's record that stood for 19 years. Karjakin, a world championship challenger in 2016, secured the grandmaster title at the age of 12 years and seven months – over two months more than February 5, 2009, born Mishra.

Mishra won the biggest game of his career so far against 15-year-old Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca - the 67th Indian to qualify for the grandmaster title - at the Vezerkepzo GM Mix with the black pieces, reaching a performance rating higher than 2600 over nine rounds, which constitutes a GM norm.

Mishra, son of a data management professional, was naturally elated, but simultaneously relieved.

“Finally checkmated the biggest opponent (ongoing pandemic ) which stopped me for 14 months. Thanks everybody for all your love and support,” he tweeted. 

Mishra, who trained under chess legend and world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 2019, also declared he was looking forward to the World Cup slated to be held from July 10-August 8 at the Gazprom Mountain Resort in Sochi, Russia.

Indian chess legend and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand warmly congratulated Mishra, who surprisingly considers American swimmer Michael Phelps as his sporting idol.

“... big congrats to the Indian origin Abhimanyu Misra on becoming the youngest GM!” tweeted Anand.

According to the Indian Express, Mishra’s father Hemant introduced him to the 64-square board when he only two-and-a-half years old. By five, he started beating Hemant and other senior players.

Endowed with a photographic memory, Mishra became the youngest US national champion when he was only seven years old, and continued with his fine display to become the country’s youngest National Master two years later.

 “Abhimanyu has worked hard all these years for this. It has been tough for the family as my husband and Abhimanyu are mostly traveling while I stay with my younger daughter, but this reward is bigger than anything,” Abhimanyu’s mother Swati Sharma said told Indian Express from New Jersey.

(SAM)