![]() ![]() By becoming the youngest grandmaster, Karjakin would, in an instant, assume a title once held by Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer, one that even world champions like Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen had never earned. The title of the youngest grandmaster turned into one such springboard.įor Karjakin and his father, Aleksandr, the label held almost infinite promise. Young players - and their often obsessive parents - needed something to set them apart. Gradually, the label ceased being a ticket to a great future in chess. That change made the label more accessible, but also less exclusive: Nearly 2,000 players have become grandmasters since 1950. To pursue its goal of having at least one grandmaster in each country, FIDE relaxed its requirements. That all changed in the 1980s, when FIDE, the governing body for chess, started expanding into countries that did not have established chess cultures. They were treated like stars at tournaments and appearances. Other players knew not only their names but their playing styles, too. ![]() To achieve it, a player must gain a high rating through strong tournament play and by collecting a series of benchmarks, called norms, in games at qualified events.įor the three decades after the title was formally introduced in 1950, the grandmaster was a rare species. Even the brightest talents need years to earn the highest and most coveted title in the game. Suddenly, all of what had been close enough to touch - the label, the fame, the history - was slipping away.Ĭhess grandmasters are not made in a day. Karjakin kept pressing, but the game ended in a draw. For nearly 60 moves, Karjakin posed subtle and challenging problems to Irina Semyonova, his opponent. Becoming the youngest grandmaster in history offered Karjakin a direct path to that world, a door to global acclaim and corporate sponsorships and invitations to the biggest tournaments - to the life that he and every prodigy, and, perhaps most of all, their parents dream about.īut first Karjakin had to win one last game.įor once, though, his skill did not appear to be enough. In chess, only the top 30 players can expect to build a proper career from the game. Karjakin was one of the rising talents in chess, a poised and accomplished boy of 12 years 7 months who was, at that moment, one victory from becoming the game’s youngest grandmaster. The opponent was the lowest-ranked player in the tournament. KYIV, Ukraine - Sergei Karjakin had only one game of chess left, and he had to win it. ![]()
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