'Needs a booster cushion': 8-year-old chess player who represents Singapore youngest to beat grandmaster

SINGAPORE: For most chess players, beating a grandmaster would rank near the top of their sporting achievements. 

Eight-year-old Ashwath Kaushik did just that on Sunday (Feb 18), clinching victory over Polish grandmaster Jacek Stopa at the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland. 

At 37, Stopa is nearly five times older than Ashwath, but the boy, who represents Singapore, was unfazed en route to becoming the youngest player to defeat a grandmaster in classical chess. 

A grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can achieve.

The previous record was only set several weeks earlier when Serbia's Leonid Ivanovic, who is several months older than Ashwath, beat 60-year-old Bulgarian grandmaster Milko Popchev at the Belgrade Open. 

Currently ranked world No. 37338 on FIDE, the international chess federation, Ashwath told Chess.com his win over Stopa "felt really exciting and amazing".

"I felt proud of my game and how I played, especially since I was worse at one point but managed to come back from that," added the Indian citizen, who moved to Singapore in 2017.

Singaporean grandmaster and CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation Kevin Goh lauded Ashwath's feat on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: "Dad is super supportive, boy is dedicated, school allows flexibility and of course he has natural talent.

"Remains to be seen how far he can go as interests can change as the boy gets older. Still, we are hopeful."

Goh also joked that as he is only eight years old, Ashwath still "needs a booster cushion to reach the other side of the board".

Speaking to CNA, he also attributed Ashwath's success to the "many other coaches and supporters" on his journey. 

He also hopes that Ashwath's success can inspire more children to pursue chess on a competitive level. 

"I think his achievement shows that with the right amount of talent and support, a young player has every chance of achieving success in chess."

Ashwath made waves in 2022 after emerging as the triple champion in the chess variations - classic, rapid and blitz - at the Under-8 Eastern Asia Youth Championship. 

Sriram Kaushik said in a post on X that his son's upset of Stopa was "one of the proudest moments of my life". 

"Special thanks to Ashwath's true pillars and his long-term, and often long-suffering coaches who have put up with him for many years through thick and thin," he added. "Puzzle solving certainly at the core of his board success as well."

According to Goh, Ashwath's next goal is to improve his ratings and earn the title of candidate master in chess. 

He also aims to do well in FIDE's World Cup for Youngsters later in the year.