Ukrainian chess player Igor Samunenkov became the youngest grandmaster in the world

14-year-old Ukrainian chess player Igor Samunenkov became the youngest grandmaster in the world, reports Pravda.

Photo: IStock

Igor also became the fourth youngest grandmaster in the history of Ukraine. Samunenkov has been playing chess professionally since he was eight years old. In 2021 he received the title of master of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), and in 2022 - international master.

In 2023, the Ukrainian fulfilled the norm at three tournaments: the 2023 European Championship in Slovenia, Vezerkepzo Summer GM 2023 in Hungary and the Polish Extraliga in Poland. After this, by decision of FIDE, Samunenkov was awarded the title of grandmaster.

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Samunenkov became the current youngest grandmaster in the world. He was ahead of the American Abgimanyu Mishra, who is four months older than the player from Ukraine.

In 2021, Mishra became the youngest grandmaster in chess history at the age of 12 years, 4 months and 25 days.

Great job by a little man

Igor trains his chess skills for 5-6 hours a day, every day. He works with a coach, plays with online opponents and learns from senior masters.

“Studying the games of world champions is very useful. For example, I am reading Kasparov’s book “My Great Predecessors”. It’s very interesting how the history of parties developed,” says Igor.

Mom started teaching Igor to play chess at the age of 6 - she used the children's game “Dinosaur Learns Chess.” Until this age, the child showed no interest in the game, but then, after classes with his mother, he signed up for a chess club not far from home.

There the boy received support from a coach and enthusiastically solved chess problems.

At the age of 7, Igor took part in his first European Championship. People were surprised to see such a small chess player.

“We even took a small pillow with us, came to tournaments with it - Igor put it on a chair and sat on top, because due to his short stature he could not reach the chess table. Then this pillow became our talisman,” says Igor’s mother.

But if the champion was inferior in height, he had no equal in play.

“Two people live inside my son: in ordinary life he is a child, but at the chess table he is a completely grown-up person. Games last for 5-6 hours, sometimes there are two rounds - 5-6 hours of play, an hour break and again 5-6 hours,” says Igor’s mother.

“ In chess you calculate your moves in advance, and in life too. Of course there is luck. But luck is also work - in chess, if an opportunity arises, you must be able to take advantage of it,” says the young grandmaster.

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