Abhimanyu Mishra Youngest US Chess Master Ever

Abhimanyu "Abhi" Mishra

Abhimanyu "Abhi" Mishra made history this week, becoming the youngest US Chess master ever. And then he ate ice cream. Mishra broke the magic 2200 barrier at 9 years, 2 months and 17 days, besting the previous record held by Liran Zhou of 9 years, 3 months and 22 days. Abhi clinched the honor on April 22, at the South Jersey Chess Club Action Quad in Marlton, NJ. Afterwards, he celebrated at Cold Stone Creamery, where he ordered the "Birthday Cake Remix" and "Our Strawberry Blonde". Mishra told US Chess that his favorite game on his final stretch to the NM title was in a quad a week prior, also in New Jersey.

[pgn]

[Event "Ewing Quads"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2018.04.14"]
[White "Mishra, Abhimanyu"]
[Black "Dragan, Milovanovic"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2018.??.??"]
[Source "PlyCounter"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8.
Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c4 bxc4 12. Nxc4 Nd4 13. Qa4+ Kf8 14. Bd3
Be6 15. Nce3 Bg5 16. O-O h5 17. f4 exf4 18. Nxf4 Qb6 19. Rae1 Rh6 20. Kh1 Bxf4
21. Rxf4 Nc6 22. Bc4 Bxc4 23. Qxc4 Ne5 24. Qd5 Rc8 25. Ref1 Rf6 26. Rxf6 gxf6
27. Nf5 Qc6 28. Qd2 Nc4 29. Qh6+ Ke8 30. Qxf6 Qxe4 31. b3 Qe2 32. Rc1 Rc5 33.
bxc4 1-0 [/pgn]

Mishra faced World Championship challenger Fabiano Caruana in a 2016 simul, as described in the New Yorker: "Among the very last players to be eliminated—and the only one to survive beyond his bedtime—was Abhimanyu Mishra, six years old, who had been taking swigs from a Lightning McQueen water bottle." With the wisdom of a few more years of chess study and practice, Abhi revealed his impressions of Fabiano:

I think Fabiano is the only player in the world currently who can beat Magnus. I like his positional play.
Chess at the top level needs some excitement in the form of a new World Champion. People are getting tired seeing Magnus not getting tough resistance.

Abhi's chess hero is Garry Kasparov, for his attacking play and high win % with black, "I hope to work with him one day." Mishra praised his amazing coaches, GM Arun Prasad S and Magesh Panchanathan, as well as the intense US Chess School sessions he attended.

Abhi at a US Chess School session in November, 2016

After celebrating with his coaches and friends at Kings and Queens Chess Academy, Abhi's plans to work on becoming the youngest IM in the World, a record currently held by IM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

It means a lot to become the youngest master in US Chess history. It gives me confidence to chase down the youngest IM and GM in the World records, which will require lots of pushing and hard work.

Mishra's favorite game in his short but illustrious career is this victory, played at the World Cadet Championships, where he earned the silver medal.

[pgn]

[Event "World Cadets Chess Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2017.08.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mishra, Abhimanyu"]
[Black "Ilamparthi A R"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B76"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "2017.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2
Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. Qe1 e6 11. h4 Ne5 12. h5 dxe4 13. Nxe6 Bxe6 14. Rxd8 Raxd8
15. h6 Bh8 16. Bg5 Rde8 17. fxe4 Nfd7 18. Bb5 a6 19. Ba4 b5 20. Bb3 Nc4 21.
Bxc4 Bxc4 22. Qd2 Nc5 23. Qf2 Nd7 24. Rd1 Ne5 25. Nd5 f6 26. Bf4 g5 27. Bxe5
Rxe5 28. Nb6 Be6 29. Nd7 Bxd7 30. Rxd7 Rf7 31. Qa7 Rxd7 32. Qxd7 a5 33. Qc8+
Kf7 34. Qxh8 Kg6 35. Qg7+ Kh5 36. Qxh7 Kg4 37. Qd7+ Kg3 38. h7 Kxg2 39. h8=Q
Rxe4 40. Qhh3+ Kf2 41. Qd2+ Re2 42. Qh2+ Kf3 43. Qdxe2# 1-0[/pgn]