Quick Info
| Profession | Chess player |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 13/07/2004 |
| Age | 22 years |
| Birthplace | Thrissur, Kerala |
Latest News about Nihal Sarin
17/07/2026
Nihal Sarin won the 2026 Bullet Chess Championship on Chess.com by defeating defending champion Alireza Firouzja 15.5-7.5 in the Grand Final. The 21-year-old Indian grandmaster achieved a remarkable 15-game winning streak against Firouzja during the match, cementing his status as a top speed chess player.
12/07/2026
Nihal Sarin became the first Indian chess player to receive a direct qualification invite for the main event of the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026. He earned this spot through his elite performance on the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) 2025-2026 Leaderboard and will represent Team India Esports.
11/07/2026
Nihal Sarin won the 2026 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid title in Kolkata as a last-minute replacement, finishing with 6.5 points and edging out five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand by half a point. The victory came just one day after the passing of his maternal grandfather A. A. Ummar, who had taught him chess.
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Bio/Wiki
| Indian chess grandmaster and prodigy who became a grandmaster at age 14 years, 1 month and 1 day | |
| Third youngest player in history to cross the Elo rating of 2600, achieving this at age 14 in 2018 | |
| 53rd grandmaster from India | |
| Became a Super Grandmaster in March 2024 | |
| Specializes in speed chess (blitz and bullet formats) and is ranked third in bullet chess on Chess.com | |
| Has played over 29,000 games on Chess.com, the most by any player in speed chess competitions | |
| 15th youngest grandmaster in the world and fifth youngest among Indian grandmasters | |
| Rated 2723 by FIDE and ranked world No. 22 as of April 2026 | |
| Won the 2026 Bullet Chess Championship on Chess.com, defeating Alireza Firouzja in the Grand Final | |
| First Indian chess player to receive a direct qualification invite for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 main event | |
| Won the 2026 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid title in Kolkata, defeating Viswanathan Anand in the final |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 161 cm |
|---|---|
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
Educational Qualification(s)
| School |
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Personal Life
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
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Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
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Family
| Father | Sarin Abdulsalam (dermatologist) |
|---|---|
| Mother | Shijin Ammanam Veetil Ummar (psychiatrist) |
| Siblings | Neha Sarin |
| Grandfather | A. A. Ummar (taught him chess rules, passed away on 14th July 2026) |
Career
| Won U-10 World Blitz Championship in 2013 | |
| Won U-10 World Youth Chess Championship in 2014 with a score of 9/11 | |
| Achieved International Master (IM) title in February 2017 at Aeroflot B Open | |
| Became Grandmaster in 2018 after scoring his second GM norm at Reykjavik Open in March 2018 | |
| Won U-18 World Youth Championship in 2020 (held online) | |
| Won Chess.com Junior Speed Chess Championship in 2020, defeating Alexey Sarana 18-7 in the final | |
| Won gold medal as part of Indian team at FIDE Chess Olympiad 2020 (held online) | |
| Won bronze medal at 2022 FIDE Chess Olympiad, scoring 7.5/10 on second board for India's second team | |
| Won Tata Steel India Rapid tournament in 2022 | |
| Won Karpov Trophy, defeating Sarana in the final | |
| Won Asian U-10 Blitz and Speed Championship in 2014 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan | |
| Won U-9 Indian National Chess Championship in 2013 | |
| Became youngest Indian player to cross 2600 rating points in 2019 | |
| Competed in World Cup in 2019 | |
| Won the 2026 Bullet Chess Championship on Chess.com | |
| Won the 2026 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid title | |
| Qualified for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 Chess main event and received direct invite for Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 |
Social Media
| https://www.instagram.com/nihalsarin/ | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/in/nihalsarin |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Nihal Sarin recognized capitals and flags of 190 countries at three years old. | |
| 2. He knew the scientific names of insects and plants in his early years. | |
| 3. Nihal became fluent in English in upper kindergarten. | |
| 4. He won multiple titles at the Kerala state championship from a young age. | |
| 5. Nihal was awarded Candidate Master (CM) by FIDE in 2014. | |
| 6. He achieved the title of FIDE Master in 2015 and Grandmaster in 2016. | |
| 7. In April 2021, Nihal received training from Judit Polgár and Vladimir Kramnik. | |
| 8. On April 19, 2021, Nihal defeated Magnus Carlsen in Blitz format, one of two players to achieve this. | |
| 9. Started playing chess at age six after his father introduced him to a chess set during school vacations | |
| 10. His grandfather A. A. Ummar taught him the rules of chess | |
| 11. Played approximately 11,000 online chess games in his first four years of formal training | |
| 12. First coach was EP Nirmal, known for his dedication to staying in coaching classes longer than other students | |
| 13. Viswanathan Anand praised him as one of the world's fastest juniors | |
| 14. Won U-10 World Youth Chess Championship without having a regular coach |