10-Year-Old Prodigy Wins GM Tournament in Serbia, Secures Second IM Norm

Indian chess sensation Aarit Kapil has added another remarkable achievement to his growing list of accomplishments. The 10-year-old FIDE Master from New Delhi won the Rudar XXXVA GM Round Robin tournament in Serbia, scoring his second International Master (IM) norm in the process .

What makes this feat extraordinary is not just the norm itself, but the manner in which it was achieved. Aarit went unbeaten through all nine rounds, finishing with 6 points out of 9 and a performance rating of 2527 — well above the required 2450 threshold for an IM norm .

---

Dominant Performance Against Titled Opposition

The tournament, held in Serbia, featured a field of three Grandmasters and three International Masters. Aarit secured the norm with a round to spare, racing to 3.5/4 after defeating :

• GM Momchil Nikolov (2421) — Bulgaria
• GM Radoslav Dimitrov (2489) — Bulgaria
• IM Kirill Klukin (2400) — Serbia

He then made four consecutive draws to reach the required mark after eight rounds. A final-round draw took him to 6/9 and sealed the tournament victory, finishing ahead of all three GMs and three IMs in the field .

“I was very happy, as I was just playing my natural game. And God is very kind,” Aarit told Chess.com after his victory .

---

A Remarkable Comeback

The result represents a stunning turnaround for the young prodigy. Ahead of scoring his second IM norm, Aarit had dropped 25 rating points when he finished last in another closed round-robin tournament in Serbia .

His resilience and ability to bounce back from disappointment highlight the mental strength that sets him apart. His coach, GM Srinath Narayanan, who also coaches elite talents like Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin, previously noted:

“Players of his level of talent tend to improve at a rapid pace, almost like they are getting better every day. I won’t be surprised to see him become a GM in the next two to three years” .

Narayanan also highlighted Aarit’s exceptional composure: “One of the things about Aarit is that he has incredible self-confidence once he gets into positions of advantage. If he knows that he’s on top, he has the confidence to pull it off” .

---

Already a History-Maker

This second IM norm comes just four months after Aarit secured his first norm at the Menorca Open in April 2026, where he scored 5/9 with a 2453 performance and became the youngest Indian to achieve an IM norm .

At that tournament, he defeated GM Kazybek Nogerbek, the 2024 FIDE World Junior Champion, in a stunning 48-move victory . Nogerbek was reportedly so upset at losing to a 10-year-old that he slammed his pen on the table after signing the scoresheet .

Aarit’s rapid rise has been marked by several other notable achievements:

• June 2025: At age 9, he held World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen to a draw in an online blitz game at Titled Tuesday
• December 2024: Became the third-youngest player ever to defeat a Grandmaster in classical chess when he beat GM Raset Ziatdinov
• 2026: Became the youngest player to reach a 3000 blitz rating on Chess.com, later pushing that to 3100
• Won the national Under-11 Open Championship in 2025 and the Delhi State Under-15 title in 2026

---

What’s Next for Aarit?

With two IM norms now secured, Aarit needs one more norm and a minimum rating of 2400 to be awarded the International Master title . Both are well within reach for a player who is already playing at a 2527 performance level.

His schedule shows no signs of slowing down. Just one day after the Rudar tournament, Aarit began another nine-round closed tournament in Serbia on August 8, featuring three GMs and four IMs. He will also compete in the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival from August 15–23 .

His father, Vijay Kapil, explains his son’s relentless drive: “Chess is his first love. And he enjoys playing. That’s why he does not get tired of chess” .

Born in 2015, Aarit will turn 11 next month. He is currently ranked number two in the world among players born in 2015 . If he continues at this pace, the Grandmaster title — and perhaps even greater achievements — may not be far behind.