9-yr-old Indian prodigy holds Carlsen to a draw

New Delhi: Nine-year-old Aarit Kapil from Delhi came close to defeating world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen before settling for a draw in the ‘Early Titled Tuesday’ chess tournament held on a leading online platform.

Aarit, the runner-up at the recent Under-9 National Championship, matched the five-time world champion move for move and had Carlsen in a completely lost position. But with time running out and only a few seconds left on his clock, the young Indian was unable to convert his advantage and eventually forced a draw in a rook versus two minor pieces endgame.

Aarit played this event from his hotel in Georgia where he is currently battling for a podium finish in the under-10 World championship.

Aarit has scored victories in the first two rounds and will play his third game on Wednesday. Meanwhile, India’s V Pranav clinched the ‘Early Titled Tuesday’ title with an impressive 10 out of 11 points.