The distinctive feat of eight-year-old Roman Shogdzhiev, triumphing over 5 grandmasters within the World Fast and Blitz Championships, earned him reward from his idol, GM Magnus Carlsen.

Carlsen’s double victory within the lately concluded occasion in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, wasn’t the only headline-making story. Different noteworthy incidents included Polish star GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda‘s refusal to shake palms with Russian GM Denis Khismatullin, and the pre-arranged knight dance of GMs Daniil Dubov and Ian Nepomniachtchi.

A extra optimistic story was the excellent efficiency of the youngest gamers within the occasion, notably eight-year-old Shogdzhiev, whose speedy outcome will go down as probably the most sensational in chess historical past. 

“That is actually exceptional! The youngest grandmasters we’ve got are 12 years previous. This can be a world sensation,” NRK’s lead commentator IM Torstein Bae mentioned on Norwegian TV.

The Russian beat two formidable grandmasters and secured attracts in opposition to three others. He can probably declare to be the youngest participant to beat a grandmaster in a speedy occasion, primarily based on Chess.com’s unofficial analysis. GM Awonder Liang holds the report because the youngest participant to defeat a grandmaster in classical chess, conducting the feat on the age of 9 in 2012.

Shogdzhiev’s first grandmaster triumph got here in opposition to Uzbek GM Jakhongir Vakhidov, an Olympiad champion, in spherical one. He continued with attracts in opposition to skilled GMs Aleksey Dreev and Gadir Guseinov in rounds two and 4.

His subsequent sufferer was GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen, who advised Norwegian TV: “I had by no means even heard of him earlier than—possibly I ought to have. It is fairly loopy to be that good if you find yourself eight years previous. After I was at that age, I had barely discovered the foundations.”

The ultimate a part of the sport was recorded by ChessBase India.

“I ought to by no means in my life have misplaced that sport, however I managed to mess it up in time bother. Regardless, he performed on an enormously excessive stage and in a mature manner,” Christiansen mentioned. 

The 8-year-old even drew consideration from Carlsen:

“These youngsters are robust! It’s extremely spectacular,” he advised NRK. “It is enjoyable to see—possibly we’ll see him on the very high in a couple of years.”

In an interview with NRK, Shogdzhiev’s mom mentioned her son began taking part in chess through the pandemic on the age of 5. She mentioned he’s decided to work arduous to satisfy his desires.

“We weren’t conscious of his expertise. We have now common jobs and Roman wished to play as a toddler. We wished him to do one thing for his future and his thoughts and never play laptop video games or watch YouTube. To play chess is nice for him.”

And what is the future aim?

“To change into world champion. And beat Magnus Carlsen!” The prodigy finally bought to fulfill his hero in Samarkand.

One of many greatest finds of World Fast 2023, 8-year-old Roman Shogdzhiev with the Champion, Magnus Carlsen!

Roman gained 182 elo factors on this occasion, defeating 2 GMs and a pair of IMs. What a expertise! pic.twitter.com/4Yqpil2H3g

— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) December 29, 2023

He completed the speedy on an astonishing 5.5/13 rating and a ranking efficiency of 2429, gaining 182 ranking factors. His efficiency wasn’t a lot worse within the blitz the place he beat robust GMs Kirill Shevchenko, Alan Pichot and Pranav Anand along with one IM.

Shogdzhiev is initially from Elista within the Russian republic of Kalmykia, often known as the venue of a number of chess occasions within the nineties due to former FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. The household has now moved close to Moscow. Shogdzhiev already has a number of prestigious titles underneath his belt:

• 2023 World Below 8 Champion (with 11/11)
• 2023 Asian Youth Below 8 Blitz Champion (with 9/9)
• 2022 European Youth Below 8 Champion (as a seven-year-old)

Shogdzhiev misplaced virtually 100 classical ranking factors within the Asian Below 8 Championship in December and, with a classical ranking of 1802, is ranked solely eighth on the planet amongst gamers born in 2015 or later. Nonetheless, he dominates in speedy (2224) and blitz (2198), forward of one other eight-year-old prodigy, Britain’s WCM Bodhana Sivanandan, who dazzled within the latest European Blitz Championship.

Shogdzhiev wasn’t the one child to beat a grandmaster in Uzbekistan. 10-year-old FM Faustino Oro, the youngest ever to interrupt 2300, beat Khismatullin within the World Fast Championship.

The ChessKid sponsored prodigy additionally completed off IM Rudik Makarian with a surprising transfer.