Nihal Sarin is an Indian chess player and chess prodigy, known for qualifying Elo rating points of 2600 at the age of fourteen in 2019. He also became the fourth youngest player to cross the Elo rating mark of 2600.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Nihal Sareen was born on Tuesday, 13 July 2004 (age 18 years; as of 2022) in Thrissur, Kerala. His zodiac sign is Cancer. He studied at Excelsior English School, Kottayam and Devamatha CMI Public School, Thrissur.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 3″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
Nihal’s father’s name is Sareen Abdussalam, who is a dermatologist.
Nihal Sarin’s father
His mother’s name is Shijin Ammanam Veetil Umar, who is a psychiatrist.
Nihal Sarin with his mother
He has a younger sister, Neha Sareen.
Nihal Sarin with his sister
livelihood
Nihal started playing chess at the age of six. In 2011, he won the Kerala State Championships in the U-7 category, twice in the U-9 category, twice in the U-11 category and once in the U-15 category. He became Under-9 champion in Chennai in 2013. In 2014, he participated in the World Youth Chess Championship in the Under-10 category and won the Candidate Master (CM) title by FIDE.
Nihal Sarin received Candidate Master (CM) by FIDE
In 2015, he surpassed the ELO rating of 2300 and won the title of FIDE Master by the World Chess Federation.
Nihal Sarin was given the title of FIDE Master
In 2015, he qualified to represent Kerala at the National Challengers Championship after finishing runner-up in the National Challengers Championship. He recorded the International Master Norm three times, at the Capel La Grande Open in 2016, at the Sunway Sitges Open in 2016 and at the Aeroflot B Open in 2017.
Nihal Sarin won Nihal Cappelle La Grande, France in 2016
His ELO rating increased from 2300 to 2500 at the TV2 Fagernes International 2017 tournament. In 2016, he obtained his first Grandmaster title at the Hasselbacken Open and his second at the Reykjavík Open in 2018.
Nihal Sarin at Reykjavik Open 2018
In July 2018, he played his first game in the Isbank Turkish Super League.
Nihal Sarin at Isbank Turkish Super League 2018
In August 2018, he achieved the title of 53rd Grandmaster of India and became the twelfth youngest Grandmaster at the Abu Dhabi Masters tournament. In January 2020, he played the Tata Steel Challengers Tournament. In the same year, he won other tournaments including the Junior Speed Chess Championship (JSCC), Capchex Online, Super Juniors Cup and the World Youth Chess Championship. In December 2020, he became the Under-18 World Youth Chess Champion. In 2020, he won the Under-19 category World Youth Chess Champion. In 2021, he won various tournaments including the Silver Lake Open, Serbia Open Masters, and Junior Speed Chess Championship.
Nihal Sarin after winning Serbia Open Masters 2021
medal
Sleep
- 2013: World Blitz Under-10 Championship
Nihal Sarin posing with the gold medal after winning the World Blitz Under-10 Championship 2013
- 2014: Asian Youth Under-10 Championship
Nihal Sarin won the Asian Youth Under-10 Championship (2014)
- 2014: Asian Youth Blitz Chess Championship
- 2017: World Youth Chess Olympiad
Nihal Sarin after winning the World Youth Chess Olympiad 2017
- 2020: FIDE Online Chess Olympiad
silver
- 2015: National Under-11 Championship
Nihal at the prize distribution ceremony of the National Under 11 Chess Championship (2015)
- 2015: World Youth Chess Under-12 Championship
Nihal Sarin won silver medal in the World Youth Chess Under-12 Championship (2015)
- 2020: Asian Team Online Championship
award
- 2016: National Children’s Award for Exceptional Achievement
Nihal Sareen wins National Children’s Award for Exceptional Achievement 2016
- 2020: Gazprom Brilliance Award
Facts/General Knowledge
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
Nihal Sarin is eating chicken
- According to his parents, Nihal was very smart since childhood. When he was three years old he could recognize the flags of 190 countries. He also recognized the names of insects and plants. He could speak English fluently when he was in upper kindergarten. When he was in class one, he studied till class sixteen.
- In 2011, he moved to Kerala from Kottayam. During summer vacation, his father bought him a game of chess to pass the time during the summer vacation. His grandfather taught him the rules of the game. After his summer vacations, when he went to school, he took coaching from coach Matthew P. Joseph Potur twice a week. Talking about this in an interview he said,
Having learned to play chess from my grandfather, I was fortunate to be in a school where chess was taught as a subject. My first successes were modest – winning state-level tournaments, national-level competitions and World Youth medals. Then I started beating my grandmother. I just keep playing as hard as I can and try to win all the games.”
Nihal Sarin with his grandfather in childhood
- His first tournament was at the age of six. In an interview, his coach had said that he had to reach the table by sitting on three chairs.
Nihal Sarin in childhood
- When he was eight years old, he finished as the state under-19 runner-up. At the age of ten he again became the runner-up.
- On 8 May 2016, the website Chess-DB broadcast their game at the Hasselbacken Open as ‘Game of the Day’.
- In 2018, he participated in the Tata Steel Rapid Championship and competed against Viswanathan Anand. Talking about Nihal in an interview, Vishwanathan Anand said,
Based on the evidence so far, I wouldn’t rule it out (Nihal becoming world champion in the future). It is a long journey ahead. After all, he is just 14 years old. I thought he would really struggle in this tournament and he would be a little out of place. It seemed contrary. He looked quite comfortable here. Not completely, but from what I see in him, he is a huge talent.
Nihal Sarin at Tata Steel Rapid Championship 2018
- In April 2021, she received training from Judit Polgár and Vladimir Kramnik.
Nihal Sarin with Vladimir Kramnik
- On 19 April 2021, he defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen in the blitz format.
- Nihal received training from various coaches including Dmitry Komarov, Srinath Narayanan and Vishwanathan Anand.
- He organizes various exhibitions to promote chess.
- In 2015, he was called as a guest contestant on the Malayalam TV quiz show Ashwamedham.
Nihal Sarin on Malayalam TV quiz show Ashwamedham
- In 2018, he conducted a YouTube live show and donated Rs. Rs 1,74,463 to help in Kerala floods.
- In 2018, he contributed Rs. Raised Rs 1,74,463 as relief in Kerala floods through a live YouTube show.
- Since 2019, she is sponsored by Akshaykalp, an Indian organic milk company.
Nihal Sarin is promoting Akshaykalp
- In an interview he talked about his experience in the Online Chess Olympiad and said,
I had some advantages in terms of faster time control. But my opponents were equally skilled as most of them had some experience playing online. It’s all about handling pressure moments consistently. Of course, the possibility of online fraud is high but organizers take precautions to avoid it. It would be best to continually improve anti-fraud measures.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn