Mumbai, June 25: 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. Divya Deshmukh Stuns World Number One Hou Yifan at World Blitz Team Chess Championship 2025 (Watch Video).

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. Disappointed D Gukesh Covers His Face After Blunder Against Fabiano Caruana Helps Magnus Carlsen Win Norway Chess 2025 Title (Watch Video).

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. American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Carlsen both finished with 9.5 points, but Niemann secured second place on tiebreak.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)