14-Year-Old Ukrainian Chess Player Becomes Youngest Active Grandmaster in the World
Ukrainian 14-year-old chess player Igor Samunenkov has become the youngest active international grandmaster in the world. This announcement comes from Ukraine's Ministry of Youth and Sports.
"By the decision of the third FIDE Council, 14-year-old Kyivan Igor Samunenkov has been conferred the title of Grandmaster," the statement reads.
It is also noted that the American Abhimanyu Mishra had to give up this position. He held the title of the youngest grandmaster globally for two years and was four months older than Igor Samunenkov. Mishra set a record in 2021, becoming a grandmaster at the age of 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days.
Igor Samunenkov started playing chess professionally at the age of 8. In 2021, at the age of 12, he achieved a remarkable victory in the youth Grand Prix super final and earned the title of FIDE Master. Within a year, he elevated his game to the international master level.
Last year, young chess prodigy Igor Samunenkov fulfilled the norms at three European tournaments:
- European Championship 2023 in Slovenia
- Vezerkepzo Summer GM 2023 in Hungary
- Polish Extraliga in Poland
Based on his tournament results, the International Federation conferred upon Samunenkov the title of grandmaster.
Currently, in the FIDE junior rankings, the young chess player holds the 27th position.
Overall, 14-year-old Igor Samunenkov became the fourth-youngest grandmaster in Ukraine's history.
In 2002, Ukrainian Ruslan Ponomariov became the youngest chess world champion in history, securing the title at the age of 16.