Future of chess and clash of generations at Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand
While the eyes of the chess world are usually on the favourites, a new generation of players is coming up through the ranks and they will be looking to shake things up at the Grand Swiss in Samarkand. The fourth edition of the strongest ever Swiss System tournament in chess – the FIDE Grand Swiss – is set to take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan at the start of September. Many of the best players in the world will be there, competing in one of the most prestigious events on the chess calendar. Among them, a cohort of prodigious youngsters in their early teens, brought up to become chess champions and set new world records for the ancient game. While many of them are already widely known, some are yet to stand out on the global chess scene. The lowering age of success bar in chess In 1958, when Bobby Fischer became a Grandmaster at 15 years and six months—already the U.S. Champion at the time—it made headlines around the world. The New York Times reported that this made Fischer a member of the “most exclusive chess fraternity in the world”. As years went by, the age bar continued to go lower: Judit Polgar beat Fischer’s record by two months in 1991, also becoming the first woman to set the new record; then came Ruslan Ponomariov at 14 years and 17 days; Karjakin followed at 12 and seven months; and then in 2021 Abhimanyu Mishra set the current record at 12 years and four months. In nearly 50 years, the threshold has dropped from 15 to just 12. But there are also other records set by youngsters. Turkiye’s Yagız Kaan Erdogmuş became the youngest-ever player to surpass a 2600 rating in 2024, before turning 13. And, of course, the crown of success – Gukesh D became the World Champion at the age of just 18, having previously become the youngest player ever (at the age of just 17) to cross the FIDE rating of 2750. Most recently, Britain’s Bodhana Sivanandan (10) became the youngest girl ever to defeat a Grandmaster and achieve the WIM title. Also, in the United States, 10-year-old Keya Iha defeated a GM in the final round of the Joe Yun Memorial. With the age of mastery and success dropping with every generation, chess is clearly becoming a young person’s game. Early starts, more family and state support, dedication and planning, as well as computers – are to credit for this trend. The forthcoming Grand Swiss in Samarkand is the next battleground where the youthful energy will test and be tested by experience, and the clash of generations will bring new surprises to the chess world. The rising stars to look out for in Samarkand The Open Volodar Murzin (2678) Photo: Michal Walusza Born in 2006 in Nizhny Tagil, Murzin’s became a Grandmaster in 2022, just five years since becoming a FIDE Master. He caught global attention last December when he won the World Rapid Championship in New York with 10/13, defeating seasoned players such as Caruana, Nakamura and Duda. The 19-year-old is currently ranked 46th in the world. Raunak Sadhwani (2676) Photo: Michal Walusza The Indian prodigy has for years been present at the top of the chess world that it’s easy to overlook the fact that he is just 19. The youngster from Nagpur in India became a GM at the age of 13. He won the Commonwealth Championship in the U-10 group in 2015 and was part of India’s bronze team at the 44th Chess Olympiad. A confident and polite player, Sadhwani is a regular at world-class events, always lurking around the top. Jonas Buhl Bjerre (2655) Photo: Maria Emelianova The 21-year-old Danish GM is gradually making his way to the top of the chess world. His greatest successes so far include winning the gold medal at the 2017 European Youth Chess Championships and finishing third at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2022 Challengers group. A versatile player, he has several strong tournaments under his belt and has played almost every top player in the world in recent years. Ediz Gürel (2652) Photo: Mark Livshitz The second youngest Turkish GM (at just 14), Gurel has caught the attention of the chess world on several recent occasions. In 2024, he won the Challengers section of the Prague Chess Festival without a single loss, and his ELO has had a steady upward rise in recent years. With a rating of 2652 at just 16 years of age, Gürel is a player whose star is rapidly ascending. Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş (2642) Photo: Mikael Svensson Even though he’s only 14, Erdoğmuş already has two spectacular records under his belt: in 2024 he became a GM at the age of 12 years and 10 months (the fourth youngest ever), while that same year he became the youngest player to cross the 2600 ELO mark. With appearances at several notable tournaments (Sitges, Grenke, TePe Sigeman) he is on a fast track to becoming one of the top players in the world. This July, he beat Peter Svidler 4–2 in the “Clash of Generations” match, a result that propelled him into the world’s Top 100, the second-youngest ever after Judit Polgar. Abhimanyu Mishra (2610) Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Crystal Fuller Another record-setter, Mishra is the youngest person ever to become Grandmaster. He was awarded the title in 2021, at the age of 12 years, four months and 25 days. His previous record was to become the youngest International Master ever (10 years and nine months). Most recently, he finished in shared 2-3rd place in the US Juniors Championship. Mishra is yet to achieve a grand success in a big international tournament, and he will be looking for a chance at the Grand Swiss in Samarkand. Marc’Andria Maurizzi (2604) Photo: Biel International Chess Festival Another youngster, 18-year-old Maurizzi became the youngest French GM in 2021, at the age of 14. Two years before, in 2019, he won the French junior