Her mother gave her a chessboard as a toy when she was just 1-year-old; today, Elena Mishra now 4, is the youngest female FIDE-rated chess player ever

Her achievement came through the blitz format, in which she currently has a FIDE rating of 1432. (Photo: ETV Bharat)

At an age when most children are still learning the names and moves of chess pieces, four-year-old Elena Mishra from Odisha has already entered the official rating list of the international chess body FIDE. Elena became the youngest female player to feature on an official FIDE rating list at the age of 4 years, 6 months and 16 days. Her achievement came through the blitz format, in which she currently has a FIDE rating of 1432.According to the September 2026 FIDE rating list, Elena is also the only female player born in 2022 or later to have an official FIDE rating in any time-control format. As reported by the Indian Express, she earned the rating after competing in the Odisha State Blitz FIDE Rating Open Chess Championship 2026 in Bhubaneswar.

“I love playing it. I practice 4 to 5 hours every day and use tactics to defeat my opponents,” Elena told the media. She also said she wants to become a Grandmaster when she grows up.At 2 years and 10 months, she entered her first chess tournament. However, what makes Elena’s story unusual is not just how early she started, but how her parents introduced her to the game.

Chess runs in Elena’s family

By the age of 2 years and 10 months, Elena had started participating in chess competitions.

Elena’s early exposure to chess has been closely connected to her family. She is the daughter of Odisha Grandmaster Swayams Mishra and Chandrima Ghosh, who has played an important role in teaching her the game. Elena’s father told ETV Bharat that FIDE has three main time-control formats, Classical, Rapid and Blitz. Her first official rating has come in Blitz, the fastest of the three. He said the family entered Elena in the tournament mainly so that she could gain more competitive experience and had not expected her to set a record.“Based on her blitz rating, Elena is currently the youngest in the world. We entered her in the tournament primarily to gain competitive experience and were not expecting this, but she performed unexpectedly well. She achieved a major milestone at a very young age, and we are proud of our daughter,” he added. The achievement has also drawn attention in Odisha. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated Elena after the milestone.Elena’s father, however, said it is too early to predict how far she will go. “It is too early to predict the future; as long as she enjoys playing on her own terms without pressure, she should continue. I only play with Elena; the credit for her success goes to my wife, Chandrima, who teaches her,” he told ETV Bharat.

Her mother gave her a chessboard as a toy

Elena’s mother Chandrima Ghosh said her daughter’s chess journey began much earlier than her tournament career. “When Elena was a year old, we gave her a chessboard as a toy. Once she recognized the moves, we taught her through fun activities,” Ghosh said. By the age of 2 years and 10 months, Elena had started participating in chess competitions.“In her first tournament in the Khordha district, she didn’t know how to checkmate yet, but she gradually gained experience by playing matches,” her mother said. That first exposure was followed by increasingly competitive events. According to Ghosh, Elena went on to play state and national tournaments and even competed internationally in Japan by the age of 3 years and 4 months. “As parents, we aim to provide her with exposure through open tournaments, and if she retains her passion, she will certainly move forward,” Ghosh added.

From Under-7 to Under-13 events

In May 2026, she won the girls’ title at the Odisha State Under-7 Chess Championship.

Elena’s recent FIDE milestone follows a series of age-category competitions in Odisha. In May 2026, she won the girls’ title at the Odisha State Under-7 Chess Championship. She has also competed in Under-9, Under-11 and Under-13 categories, giving her exposure to opponents older than her.Elena’s new rating places her in a small but notable group of very young players appearing on FIDE’s official lists. The overall record for the youngest player to receive a FIDE rating is held by Madhya Pradesh’s Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, who appeared on the December 2025 FIDE list with a Rapid rating at 3 years, 7 months and 20 days, according to the Indian Express.For Elena, the immediate focus remains playing more tournaments and improving her game rather than simply collecting records. Her parents say they want to give her opportunities to compete and learn while allowing her interest in chess to develop naturally. For now, the four-year-old’s next target is not another age record, but the much bigger goal she has set for herself: becoming a Grandmaster.