Abdusattorov second youngest GM ever

Nordirbek does it

The Chigorin Memorial is clearly going to be a tournament Nordirbek Abdusattorov remembers fondly, having now scored two of his three GM-norms at the annual St. Petersburg event. Two draws in the final two rounds was enough to secure the requisite 2600+ performance rating.

Abdusattorov's results

The Guardian's correspondent Leonard Barden predicted this happening in January this year, and sent us his updated thoughts on Abdusattorov's achievement:

Nodibirek Abdusattorov already looked exceptional when he beat two GMs at Tashkent 2014 when only nine years old.  In the 2016 Chigorin Memorial the 11-year-old scored the youngest 2650 GM norm in chess history with impressive strategic play including a Karpovian win against Brazil's Alexander Fier.  Again this week his ultra-patient style brought a key point in his sixth round win over GM Evgeny Levin.

My impression is that he could have achieved his second and third norms still earlier, thus breaking Karjakin's world age record, if he had been given the right opportunities and backing. I already pointed this out in my Guardian article in January this year, which noted that time was running out for the world record and that he needed to play in more GM tournaments in the West. In the event he has had far fewer opportunities than his Indian rival Praggnanandhaa, and his only 2017 event in the West has been the Millenials junior match at Saint Louis where no norms were possible.

One must point the finger at Uzbek chess and sports officials who missed a strong possibility for a landmark achievement which would have given their country favourable publicity in global media. Now, surely, Abdusattorov must be given the chance to show his skills in a major Western event. Tata Steel Wijk Challengers officials, it's over to you.

What of Praggnanandhaa, who has also played in the Chigorin Memorial this week?  The Indian prodigy, who has until March 2018 to break Karjakin's record, has a 2500 rating but no GM norms yet. He had serious opportunities in recent months at both Vlissingen and the Isle of Man to make a 2600 GM norm, but faded in the crucial closing rounds. At St. Petersburg this week he has had a form crisis, a below 2300 performance after seven rounds which was worse than his sister, WIM R. Vaishali, who defeated a 2500 IM and reached 5/7 for her career best performance.

Praggnanandhaa probably still has a better than even chance of breaking Karjakin's record, since India plans a circuit of three GM tournaments around the turn of the year which will give him a very important home advantage.  But his margin for error has narrowed, and Abdusattorov's breakthrough increases the pressure. The prodigy race is truly on, and should be fascinating to follow in the next few years.

(Above) Abdusattorov at the World Youth Championship in 2015 | Photo: Reint Dykema
(Below) At the Sharjah Masters (March 2017) | Photo: Maria Emelianova / shjchessmasters.com

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Technicalities

For those eagle-eyed readers who notice that all but one of Abdusattorov's opponents were Russian, and may recall that FIDE requirements for norm-seekers generally require a mix of federations, don't fret — there's an exception for certain Swiss tournaments, and the Chigorin Memorial qualifies. Per the FIDE Handbook: 

Chess Prodigies Uncovered: Sergey Karjakin

Experience the meteoric rise of the youngest Grandmaster of all time into the world elite in specially selected master games. IM D'Costa presents brilliant victories in a new interactive training format with video feedback!

1.43e — Swiss System tournaments in which participants include in every round at least 20 FIDE Rated players not from the host federation, but from at least 3 federations and at least 10 of whom hold GM, IM, WGM,WIM titles.

Update October 30: ChessBase has received a copy of Abdusattorov's passport which indicates his date of birth as September 18th, 2004.

There is also some uncertainly as to Abdusattorov's precise age. We initially reported his 13th birthday to be upcoming on December 1st, but that was not correct. He was born on September 18, 2004. We've updated the table below.

He can safely be said to be the second youngest grandmaster in history, as he is easily beating Parimarjan Negi and Magnus Carlsen. Here's a list of all other players who become grandmasters before they were 15: 

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Scarcely any world champion has managed to captivate chess lovers to the extent Carlsen has. The enormously talented Norwegian hasn't been systematically trained within the structures of a major chess-playing nation such as Russia, the Ukraine or China.

Links

• Indian 12-year-old prodigy crosses 2500
• Match of Millennials: World smashes USA
• Sharjah Masters: Wang Hao is first among equals
• Chigorin Memorial: Alekseenko wins; Abdusattorov shines