Records all the way

Published : Jul 29, 2006 00:00 IST

2002: Gained International rating of 2061 at the age of nine years and 50 days to become the youngest Indian on the World Rating List in April.

2003: Became the youngest Indian to hold an International Master norm by making the grade in the Offene International Bayerischche Meisterschaft at Bad Wiessee, Germany in November. His norm came when he was 10 years and 280 days.

2004: Became the youngest Indian to beat a Grandmaster. He defeated Switzerland's Ivan Nemet in the Biel Chess Festival in July. By attaining the feat at the age of 11 years and five months, he erased the 1995 record of 11 years and 11 months that stood in the name of Surya Shekhar Ganguly, who defeated Russia's Gregory Sreper in the Goodricke Open in Kolkata.

2005: Became the youngest Indian to meet the norm requirements for the International Master title during the Sort International Open in Sort, Spain, in July. By making the third norm at the age of 12 years, four months and 24 days, he eclipsed the record of P. Hari Krishna who had collected three norms in the space of less than two months in 2000 at the age of 13 years, nine months and 19 days.

Became the country's youngest International Master during the Hastings International Chess Congress in December by crossing the stipulated rating of 2400. He completed the formalities when he was 12 years, 10 months and 19 days to break P. Hari Krishna's record of 13 years, nine months and 19 days, set in 2000.

2006: Became the country's youngest Grandmaster-norm holder in the Hastings International Chess Congress in January. His record of 12 years and 330 days erased K. Humpy's effort that came when she was 14 years and 84 days in 2001. Matched Viswanathan Anand's record, of making two successive Grandmaster norms in the same month, during the Parsvnath International Open in New Delhi in January. Anand had gained his second and third GM norms in December 1987. Became the world's second youngest Grandmaster in the history of the game at the end of the Chelyabinsk Super Final at Satka in Russia in July. Made his third and final GM norm and also took his accumulated rating past the stipulated mark of 2500. Currently, the youngest GM in the world. By becoming a GM at the age of 13 years and 142 days, he broke the record of Norway's Magnus Carlsen that stood at 13 years and 147 days. Replaced P. Hari Krishna as the country's youngest GM. Hari made it at the age of 15 years and 99 days in August 2001. Matched Viswanathan Anand's record of making three GM norms in the space of six months. Anand made his norms in the second half of 1987.

His cherished performances

Most memorable result: "My last round game from the Greek team championship against Israel's Evgeny Postny (2591) was a very interesting game. I had a good advantage at first... but then... it was full of mistakes in the time pressure and in the end, he could have got a better position but he just missed a mate in two! It was quite a game."

Biggest victory: Beating Ukrainian GM Zahar Efimenko (2648) in 26 moves in the San Marino Open in Italy in June 2006.

Quickest victory over a Grandmaster: Defeated Romanian GM George Grigore (2479) in 21 moves in the Sort Open, Spain, July 2005.

First victory with black pieces against a Grandmaster: Defeated former women's World Champion, Qatar's Zhu Chen (2482) in 28 moves in the Aeroflot Open in 2006.

Biggest win with black pieces against a Grandmaster: Defeated Evgeny Postny (2591) in the Greek team chess championship in 38 moves.

Longest drawn game against a Grandmaster: Against Russia's Yuri Kuzubov (2541) in 86 moves in the Hastings Chess Congress in January 2006.

Highly satisfying game in spite of suffering a loss: His game against Russia's Alexei Dreev in the Greek team championship. He managed to fight quite well, though, in the endgame, he was outplayed.

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