Exclusive | Watching Magnus Carlsen at 2: How 5-year-old Aarini Lahoty became India’s No. 1 among youngest chess talents

NEW DELHI: In late 2020, Magnus Carlsen, then still a four-time World Chess Champion, was set to lock horns against challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi. However, the much-anticipated clash was postponed due to the COVID-19.A year later, when the Norwegian finally faced the Russian in an over-the-board battle in Dubai, nearly 2,200 km away, in a Lajpat Nagar household in New Delhi, a two-year-old toddler named Aarini Lahoty was glued to the television. While she had little idea of what was at stake, her keen eyes followed the moving pieces on the board. She was determined to name them correctly whenever her father, Surendar Lahoty, a chess player himself, pointed at the TV screen.Pawn, knight, king — she knew them all.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Fast forward to August 2025: Aarini Lahoty has become her school’s princess, Delhi’s newest chess gem, and India’s highest-rated player in her age group, across boys and girls, among those born after 2019.A FIDE rating of 1551, as of August 11, 2025, puts the five-year-old far ahead of her peers of the same age or younger.As a result, father Surendar, now a sports coach at Bluebells School International, where Aarini also studies, has been grinning, nodding and all but drowning in a flood of congratulatory greetings.

‘Because I get to move first’

Ask Aarini to introduce herself, and she answers without hesitation: “Aarini Lahoty. From Delhi, New Delhi.” Does she like playing chess? “Yes.” Which side? “White… because I get to make the first move.”She knows she became the youngest female FIDE-rated player in India. “Yes,” she says with a wry smile when asked if she’s feeling good about it. The attention from well-wishers? “Yes.” Her favourite chess player? “My dad.”

Not Carlsen, not reigning World Chess Champion D Gukesh, not India's cureent No. 1 R Praggnanandhaa, just her father.

She did enjoy watching Divya Deshmukh win the FIDE Women’s World Cup recently, and she wants to be like her. “Yes,” she nods firmly.She insists she loves both studying and chess equally. Her favourite subject is EVS.Does she get nervous facing older, stronger players? “No… I just keep playing. Sometimes I make blunders,” she tells TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interaction.

A proud coach-father

“That feeling was truly amazing — as a parent and as her coach. Our child has come forward and broken the record. The pride is for everyone — school, family, everywhere,” Surendar admits.The 33-year-old, originally from Rajasthan but raised in Assam, has been a competitive player himself, earning a FIDE rating in his very first nationals.Today, he runs the IGSF Chess Academy in Delhi and coaches at her daughter's school.He says Aarini’s chess journey began almost as soon as she could walk. “From the age of one, she would set up the board herself. During lockdown, she watched me teach online and began moving pieces correctly. She’s truly adventurous, her name even means that.”

From the outset, he ensured she played in open categories. “She has competed in Under-7, Under-9, and Under-11, not just her age group. Losing is fine; what matters is learning.

That’s what I was taught by my father late Vijay Lahoty, and I passed it on to her.”

A day in the life of a 5-year-old champ

At home, Aarini’s day is as structured as her chessboard. “After school, she rests for an hour-and-a-half, then plays outside. Her mother takes care of her studies, I focus on her chess. She loves puzzles so much she often sends me photos saying, ‘Please answer this right now’ if she’s stuck,” says Surendar.The family ensures there is no unhealthy pressure.“We keep it balanced: studies, chess, swimming. The school is very supportive and gives her the freedom to focus on her dreams,” he adds.

The road ahead

With Indian chess in a golden era, D Gukesh as World Champion, and stars like Humpy, Harika, Praggnanandhaa and Divya inspiring new players, Aarini represents the very youngest wave of this boom.ALSO READ: The Mother's Gambit: How a housewife's trick to make dinner prepped a record-breaking 8-year-old in PunjabHer father’s vision is clear: “We want her to become the youngest IM and GM of India, and make everyone proud.”But for now, Aarini continues to juggle school, play, and chess with a calm confidence that belies her age.