Ashwath Kaushik | |
|---|---|
| Country | Singapore |
| Born | 2015 (age 9–10) India |
| Title | Candidate Master |
| FIDE rating | 2264 [1] |
Ashwath Kaushik (born 2015) is a Singapore-based chess prodigy of Indian origin. In February 2024, at the age of eight, he became the youngest player in history to defeat a chess grandmaster in a classical game. [2]
Ashwath was born in India and later moved with his family to Singapore. [3] He began playing chess at the age of four, encouraged by his family. [4]
In 2022, Ashwath won triple gold in the Under-8 category (classical, rapid and blitz) at the Eastern Asia Youth Championship. [5] The same year, he became the World Under-8 Rapid Champion. [6]
On 18 February 2024, Ashwath defeated Polish grandmaster Jacek Stopa at the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland, setting a world record as the youngest player to beat a grandmaster in a classical tournament game. [7] He finished 12th overall in the tournament. [7]
In July 2023, nearly a year before his record, Ashwath also likely was the youngest player to beat an International Master (IM), beating Torben Sorensen at the Blue Chevalier Open in Phuket, besides getting a draw against another Grandmaster in the same event. [8]
Ashwath is known for bold attacking play and quick calculation skills. His coaches and family describe him as highly disciplined, often spending hours solving puzzles and practicing during weekends and school breaks. [4] [6]
Ashwath attends the Overseas Family School in Singapore. [5] He enjoys building LEGO sets, reading, cycling, and playing with friends outside of chess. [6]