New Jersey’s Abhimanyu Mishra Creates Chess History With Win Over World Champion

Photo: ANI

India-West News Desk

EDISON, NJ — Sixteen-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra, a New Jersey-born prodigy with Indian roots, stunned the chess world on September 8 by defeating reigning world champion D Gukesh in round five of the FIDE Grand Swiss. With this victory, Mishra became the youngest player in chess history to beat a sitting world champion in a classical game.

For Mishra, the moment marks another milestone in a record-breaking career. In 2019, he became the youngest International Master, and two years later, at 12 years and four months, he rewrote history as the youngest Grandmaster ever. His triumph over Gukesh, who himself made history last year as the youngest to win the world title, now adds another chapter to his remarkable journey.

Mishra’s story is as much about family as it is about chess. His father, Hemant Mishra, who grew up in Bhopal and studied at MANIT before moving to the United States, introduced his son to the game when he was just two years and eight months old. The motivation, he recalls, was simple: to keep young Abhimanyu engaged in something more constructive than screens. Mishra’s mother, Swati, hails from Agra, making his rise a proud moment for the Indian diaspora.

By age five, Abhimanyu was already playing competitive tournaments. His precocious talent soon caught the eye of Indian Grandmasters Arun Prasad Subramanian and Magesh Chandran, who have guided his development. Along the way, he has squared off with several Indian stars, including R Praggnanandhaa, whom he held to a draw in an earlier round of the current event.