Chess prodigies are children who play chess

Chess

Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...

 so well that they are able to beat Masters and even Grandmaster

International Grandmaster

The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....

s, often at a very young age. Chess is one of the few sports where children can compete with adults on equal ground; it is thus one of the few skills in which true child prodigies

Child prodigy

A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...

 exist. Expectations can be high for chess prodigies; while some become World Champions

World Chess Championship

The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....

, others fail to make progress in adulthood.

Early chess prodigies

Early chess prodigies were Paul Morphy

Paul Morphy

Paul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...

 (1837–1884) and José Raúl Capablanca

José Raúl Capablanca

José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play...

 (1888–1942), both of whom won matches against strong adult opponents at the age of 12; and Samuel Reshevsky

Samuel Reshevsky

Samuel "Sammy" Herman Reshevsky was a famous chess prodigy and later a leading American chess Grandmaster...

 (1911–1992), who was giving simultaneous exhibition

Simultaneous exhibition

A simultaneous exhibition or simultaneous display is a board game exhibition in which one player plays multiple games at a time with a number of other players. Such an exhibition is often referred to simply as a "simul".In a regular simul, no chess clocks are used...

s at the age of six. Morphy went on to be unofficial World Champion (before the official title existed), Capablanca became World Champion, and Reshevsky—while never attaining the title—was in the top few players in the world for many years.

List of youngest grandmasters

One measure of chess prodigies is the age at which they gain the International Grandmaster

International Grandmaster

The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....

 title. This title has only existed since 1950, and also that the title has become less difficult to obtain in recent years (see International Grandmaster Title inflation). Nevertheless, there have been more strong prodigies in recent years.

Record holders

Below are players who have held the record for youngest grandmaster. The age listed is the age on which they qualified for the title. This is not equal to the age at which they officially became Grandmasters, because GM titles can only be awarded at FIDE

Fédération Internationale des Échecs

The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...

 congresses. All players are listed by their nationality at the time of gaining the title, not their current or later nationality.

Year	Player	Country	Age
1950	David Bronstein David Bronstein David Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...		26 years
1952	Tigran Petrosian Tigran Petrosian Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...		23 years
1955	Boris Spassky Boris Spassky Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...		18 years
1958	Bobby Fischer Bobby Fischer Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...		15 years, 6 months, 1 day
1991	Judit Polgár Judit Polgár Judit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time.Polgár was ranked No...		15 years, 4 months, 28 days
1994	Péter Lékó Péter Lékó On the way to winning the prestigious Corus chess tournament in 2005, Lékó defeated Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand with the black pieces. The moves were:...		14 years, 4 months, 22 days
1997	Étienne Bacrot Étienne Bacrot Étienne Bacrot is a French chess grandmaster and currently ranked number one in France.He started playing at 4; by 10 young Bacrot was already winning junior competitions and in 1996, at 13 years of age, he won against Vasily Smyslov...		14 years, 2 months, 0 days
1997	Ruslan Ponomariov Ruslan Ponomariov Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov is a Ukrainian chess player and former FIDE World Champion.-Early career:Ponomariov was born in Horlivka in Ukraine. In 1994 he placed third in the World Under-12 Championship at the age of ten. In 1996 he won the European Under-18 Championship at the age of just...		14 years, 0 months, 17 days
1999	Bu Xiangzhi Bu Xiangzhi Bu Xiangzhi is a Chinese chess grandmaster. In 1999, he became China's 10th Grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 10 months, 13 days, at the time the youngest in history. In April 2008, Bu and Ni Hua became the second and third Chinese players to pass the 2700 Elo rating line, after Wang Yue...		13 years, 10 months, 13 days
2002	Sergey Karjakin Sergey Karjakin Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was a chess prodigy and holds the record for both the youngest International Master, eleven years and eleven months, and grandmaster in history, at the age of twelve years and seven months...		12 years, 7 months, 0 days

This is a list of the players to become Grandmasters before their fifteenth birthday:

No.	Player	Country	Age
1.	Sergey Karjakin Sergey Karjakin Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was a chess prodigy and holds the record for both the youngest International Master, eleven years and eleven months, and grandmaster in history, at the age of twelve years and seven months...		12 years, 7 months, 0 days
2.	Parimarjan Negi Parimarjan Negi Parimarjan Negi is a chess Grandmaster from India. In July 2005, he earned his third and final International Master norm at the Sort International open chess tournament in Sort, Spain...		13 years, 4 months, 22 days
3.	Magnus Carlsen Magnus Carlsen Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and chess prodigy who is currently the number-one ranked player in the world. In January 2010 he became the seventh player ranked number one in the world on the official FIDE rating list...		13 years, 4 months, 27 days
4.	Bu Xiangzhi Bu Xiangzhi Bu Xiangzhi is a Chinese chess grandmaster. In 1999, he became China's 10th Grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 10 months, 13 days, at the time the youngest in history. In April 2008, Bu and Ni Hua became the second and third Chinese players to pass the 2700 Elo rating line, after Wang Yue...		13 years, 10 months, 13 days
5.	Richárd Rapport Richárd Rapport Richárd Rapport is a Hungarian chess prodigy. In March 2009, he became the fifth ever youngest Grandmaster in chess history....		13 years, 11 months, 6 days
6.	Teimour Radjabov Teimour Radjabov Radjabov's knight sacrifice, 21. ... Ngxe5, was praised by several strong players for its bravery, including English grandmaster Nigel Short. Said Short of the move, "Radjabov plays very imaginatively... he just won't give up, he is extremely tenacious and will always find a way to muddy the...		14 years, 0 months, 14 days
7.	Ruslan Ponomariov Ruslan Ponomariov Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov is a Ukrainian chess player and former FIDE World Champion.-Early career:Ponomariov was born in Horlivka in Ukraine. In 1994 he placed third in the World Under-12 Championship at the age of ten. In 1996 he won the European Under-18 Championship at the age of just...		14 years, 0 months, 17 days
8.	Wesley So Wesley So Wesley So is a Filipino chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he achieved the GM title at the age of 14 years, 1 month and 28 days, making him the 8th youngest person to achieve the Grandmaster title in the history of chess. Before becoming a Grandmaster, So had become the youngest Filipino...		14 years, 1 month, 28 days
9.	Étienne Bacrot Étienne Bacrot Étienne Bacrot is a French chess grandmaster and currently ranked number one in France.He started playing at 4; by 10 young Bacrot was already winning junior competitions and in 1996, at 13 years of age, he won against Vasily Smyslov...		14 years, 2 months, 0 days
10.	Jorge Cori		14 years, 2 months
11.	Illya Nyzhnyk Illya Nyzhnyk Illya Nyzhnyk is a Ukrainian chess player.He was born September 27, 1996 in Vinnytsia and gained worldwide attention when he won Group B of the 2007 Moscow Open at the age of 10. He attained a nearly flawless score of 8½/9 and his performance rating was 2633, that of a Grandmaster...		14 years, 3 months, 2 days
12.	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is a French chess Grandmaster and the 2009 World Junior Chess Champion.-Grandmaster norms:He completed his final grandmaster norm at age 14 years, 4 months, in 2005....		14 years, 4 months
13.	Péter Lékó Péter Lékó On the way to winning the prestigious Corus chess tournament in 2005, Lékó defeated Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand with the black pieces. The moves were:...		14 years, 4 months, 22 days
14.	Hou Yifan Hou Yifan Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess prodigy. She is the reigning Women's World Chess Champion, the youngest ever to win the title, as well as the youngest female player ever to qualify for the title of Grandmaster.At the age of 12, Hou became the youngest player ever to participate in the FIDE Women's...		14 years, 6 months, 16 days
15.	Anish Giri Anish Giri Anish Giri is a chess prodigy. He met his final grandmaster norm at the age of 14 years, 7 months and 2 days when he beat Venezuelan GM Eduardo Iturrizaga in the C Group of the 2009 Corus Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands....		14 years, 7 months, 2 days
16.	Yuriy Kuzubov Yuriy Kuzubov Yuriy Kuzubov , is one of the youngest International Grandmasters in the history of chess. As of April 2008, his rating was 2603. He completed his final grandmaster norm at age 14 years, 7 months, 12 days in 2004...		14 years, 7 months, 12 days
17.	Dariusz Swiercz Dariusz Swiercz Dariusz Świercz is a Polish chess grandmaster. He is a chess prodigy, being one of the youngest grandmasters in history and the youngest Polish grandmaster of all time, achieving the title at the age of 14 years and seven months...		14 years, 7 months, 29 days
18.	Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn is a leading Vietnamese chess player. After learning chess at the age of 3, he won the gold medal at the world under 10 championship in 2000. He is Vietnam's youngest Grandmaster ever, and one of the youngest grandmasters in the history of the game...		14 years, 10 months
19.	Daniil Dubov Daniil Dubov Daniil Dubov is a Russian chess Grandmaster. He completed his final grandmaster norm at age 14 years, 11 months, 14 days in 2011.-External links:...		14 years, 11 months, 14 days
20.	Ray Robson Ray Robson Ray Robson is an American chess player who holds the title of Grandmaster. In October 2009, about two weeks before turning 15, he became the youngest grandmaster-elect in history who plays for the United States .Robson's norms were gained at the Arctic Chess...		14 years, 11 months, 16 days
21.	Fabiano Caruana Fabiano Caruana Fabiano Luigi Caruana is Grandmaster and chess prodigy with dual citizenship of Italy and the United States.On 15 July 2007 Caruana became a Grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, 20 days – the youngest Grandmaster in the history of both Italy and the United States.In the November 2011...		14 years, 11 months, 20 days

Here are the holders of the record for the youngest ever female to become a grandmaster (not to be confused with the lesser Woman Grandmaster title):

Year	Player	Country	Age
1978	Nona Gaprindashvili Nona Gaprindashvili Nona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion , and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia , she was the strongest female player of her generation....		37 years
1984	Maia Chiburdanidze Maia Chiburdanidze Maia Chiburdanidze is a Georgian chess grandmaster, and the seventh Women's World Chess Champion. She is the only chess player in history who has won nine Chess Olympiads....		23 years
1991	Susan Polgar Susan Polgar Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-American chess Grandmaster...		21 years
1991	Judit Polgár Judit Polgár Judit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time.Polgár was ranked No...		15 years, 4 months
2002	Humpy Koneru		15 years 1 month
2008	Hou Yifan Hou Yifan Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess prodigy. She is the reigning Women's World Chess Champion, the youngest ever to win the title, as well as the youngest female player ever to qualify for the title of Grandmaster.At the age of 12, Hou became the youngest player ever to participate in the FIDE Women's...		14 years, 6 months

External links

• Edward Winter
  Edward Winter (chess historian)
  Edward Winter is an English journalist, archivist, historian, collector and author about the game of chess. He writes a regular column on that subject, Chess Notes, and is also a regular columnist for ChessBase.-Chess Notes:...
  
  , Chess Prodigies (2005, updated in 2006 and 2007)
• Chessbase news about young Grandmasters