Meet Abhimanyu Mishra, Our Youngest Ever US Chess Expert

Abhimanyu Mishra from New Jersey became the youngest ever expert at the age of seven years, six months and 22 days, beating Awonder Liang's record by almost six months, who became an expert and eight years and seven days. Abhimanyu broke the 2000 barrier at a quad in Hamilton, NJ and gained some more rating points at the New Jersey Open over Labor Day weekend. Recently, Mishra won the ChessKid National Invitational, despite playing up a section! (He was eligible for the 6 and Under at the time, and played the 8 and Under.) The young record breaker was also featured earlier this year in the New Yorker Magazine, where he was one of the last players to survive in a simultaneous exhibition conducted by Fabiano Caruana, earning the "Fighting Spirit Award." Abhimanyu's goal is to become the youngest Grandmaster in the World. His coaches are GMs Arun Prasad and Magesh Panchanathan at Chess Kings and Queens Academy in NJ. Here is a recent (five hour long!) victory from Mishra at the New Jersey Open, where he further solidified his expert title by picking up a few more points. This tournament was also featured by Al Lawrence in our Labor Day round-up. 

[pgn] [Event "NJ OPEN"][Site "?"]
[Date "2016.09.04"]
[White "Mishra, Abhimanyu"]
[Black "Ethan J, Klein."]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 Qc7 8.
Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 cxd4 10. Ne2 dxc3 11. f4 Nbc6 12. Qd3 d4 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14.
Qxd4 Bd7 15. Qf2 Qc6 16. Rg1 Rh8 17. h3 Nf5 18. Bd3 Nh4 19. Be3 Qd5 20. Bc5 Bc6
21. Kf1 Rg8 22. Qxh4 Qxc5 23. Qf2 Qd5 24. g3 a6 25. h4 O-O-O 26. a4 Kb8 27. Qe3
Qd7 28. Rb1 Ka8 29. Be4 Bxe4 30. Qxe4 Qd5 31. Qxd5 Rxd5 32. h5 Rd2 33. Rg2 Rh8
34. g4 Rg8 35. g5 Kb8 36. Rb3 Rd4 37. Rf2 Rxa4 38. Rxc3 Re4 39. h6 b5 40. Rh3
Kc7 41. h7 Rh8 42. f5 Rg4 43. fxe6 fxe6 44. Rg2 Rf4+ 45. Kg1 Rf7 46. g6 Rg7 47.
Rf3 a5 48. Rf7+ Rxf7 49. gxf7 a4 50. Rg8 a3 51. f8=Q a2 52. Qd6+ Kb7 53. Rg7+
Ka8 1-0 [/pgn]