Unlike other children who spend their days studying in school, watching TV or playing cricket in the park, Aarit Kapil spends his time competing against chess grandmasters. The 10-year-old kid from New Delhi has already got his first IM norm in Menorca Open 2026 and how he achieved that is causing waves in chess circles around the world.
Aarit notched five points from nine games and showed a performance rating of 2453 in Menorca Open 2026. During the tournament, he defeated World Junior Champion GM Kazybek Nogerbek and IM Aldiyar Ansat. He managed a draw against GM Bryce Tiglon and IM Faustino Oro. In nine rounds, he played against seven titled players, lost two matches but bagged his first IM norm before completing primary schooling.
The Game Everyone Talks About
Among other remarkable games in Round 3 of the Menorca Open 2026, IM Aarit Kapil scored a memorable win against IM Aldiyar Ansat (Kazakhstan) rated 2484.
From the opening, Ansat tried to surprise his opponent, however, being calm and collected, the ten-year-old did not give in to haste and took almost twenty minutes to make his fourth move. This proved to be an excellent strategy since, by move 32, he already had a lead in pawns and at move 40, he continued playing with the advantage.
Finally, the he managed to make the most of the favorable position and won the game convincingly.
Without a doubt, his performance was very impressive since he managed to overcome the challenge presented by his tough opponent without committing any apparent errors. It must be stated that this success was especially important considering the fact that it contributed to obtaining his first IM norm.
His success in Menorca was not isolated. At the beginning of this year, Aarit proved to be the youngest player ever to surpass the 3000 blitz rating on Chess.com, thereby beating a previous record set by IM Faustino Oro. So far, he has already been rated over 2300 in the classical format and won the FM norm. According to his trainers, IM Vishal Sareen and GM Srinath Narayanan, speed, both in calculation and learning process, is Aarit’s main asset.
The Boy Behind the Board
But despite all the fanfare, Aarit keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground. He’s not interested in chasing titles and breaking records, saying, “I just want to play my best moves.” He practices openers and endgames, usually late at night, and as his father Vijay notes, Aarit maintains his cool post tough matches.
In order to become an official IM, Aarit needs to obtain two more norms and boost his rating above 2400. If he carries on like this, he’ll soon break the record held by R Praggnanandhaa and become the youngest Indian IM.
Right now, the young player enjoys playing chess. Be it against Magnus Carlsen online or a grandmaster over the board, Aarit enjoys the challenge. As he told Sportstar, “We both have the same pieces.”
Final Thought
At ten years old, Aarit Kapil isn’t just playing chess. He’s showing the world what’s possible when talent meets passion. He’s not chasing fame or records, just good moves. And that’s exactly why he’s becoming one of the most exciting young players in the world.
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