Chess and the extraordinary records of U15 prodigies

The event of 10-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan defeating Grandmaster Pete Wells in England once again rekindled faith in young talent in the world of chess.

However, this is not the only case. History has recorded many chess prodigies under the age of 15 who have made similar miracles, making experts admire them.

One of the most recent examples is Singaporean prodigy Ashwath Kaushik. In February 2024, at just 8 years old, he became the youngest person in the world to defeat a Grandmaster in a standard tournament. His opponent was 37-year-old Grandmaster Jacek Stopa of Poland.

After that historic victory, Kaushik continued to train and compete in major chess tournaments. Kaushik was expected to become the future of Singaporean chess. Currently, Kaushik continues to conquer titles, and has great potential to become one of the top players in the world.

Previously, this record belonged to Leonid Ivanovic (Serbia), who defeated Grandmaster Milko Popchev at the age of 8 years and 11 months. Although the record was quickly broken, Ivanovic is still a prominent name in the youth chess world. Currently, the 9-year-old boy is still actively competing and improving his level. At the same time, he shows his determination to pursue a professional career.

It is impossible not to mention Magnus Carlsen (Norway), who is considered the greatest of all time. Unlike today's prodigies, at the age of 13, Carlsen stunned the world when he drew with the legendary Garry Kasparov and defeated Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov. This event was a major turning point in his career.

Carlsen then became world champion and held the title for more than a decade. Despite relinquishing the world title, Carlsen remained the world's number one player and continued to compete in top tournaments.

Another name is David Howell, who defeated Grandmaster John Nunn in a blitz game in 1999, at the age of eight.

Howell continued to develop and became Britain's youngest Grandmaster in 2007. He remains one of Britain's leading players and regularly competes in international tournaments.

These stories show that chess talent can develop very early. And almost all of those who came before became professional players or even reached the title of "Chess King".

To turn a prodigy into a legend, players need passion, persistent training and the ability to overcome pressure.