5-Year-Old Aarini Lahoty Shatters Records, Becomes Youngest Female to Achieve FIDE Ratings in All Chess Disciplines

Aarini Lahoty, just five years old, has created history by becoming the youngest girl globally to earn FIDE ratings in all three formats - classical, rapid and blitz chess. The Delhi youngster now holds ratings of 1553 (classical), 1550 (rapid) and 1498 (blitz), making her the first player born in 2019 from India to achieve the feat. Her father and coach, Surendar Lahoty, said the journey began at home. “We prepared her at home itself. We made her play tournaments in all formats, tried to get her used to the same time patterns, and only then sent her for official tournaments. Now her ratings have been published, we are very happy,” he told TimesofIndia.com. Surendar explained how Aarini trained with exact tournament controls. “In Rapid, the format was 15+10, and in Blitz, it was 3+2. At home, we kept practising with the same time controls to prepare her for tournaments. And even at this minute, if I ask her to play a tournament, she’s ready to go with me,” he said. “In fact, today she played a local tournament where she won the Under-7 category and finished second in Under-16.” Born on September 19, 2019, Aarini had already climbed to the top of her age group in India by August this year, rated higher than any other boy or girl born after 2019. Surendar recalled her early interest during the lockdown. “From the age of one, she would set up the board herself. During lockdown, she watched me teach online and started moving the pieces correctly on her own.” Now a student at Bluebells School International, Aarini balances academics, outdoor activities and chess. Her father says the family is mindful of pressure but clear about ambition. “We want her to become India’s youngest IM and GM, and make everyone proud,” Surendar said. With Indian chess in a golden era, Aarini represents the newest face of the country’s growing chess wave.