Wow! A Chess Grandmaster at age 12!!!
ChessBase.com has just reported that Sergey Karjakin of the Ukraine has achieved his 3rd and final norm for the Grandmaster title. He breaks the previous record of China's Bu Xiangzhi (13 years, 10 months, 13 days) by earning the title at an unbelievable 12 years, 7 months, 0 days!
With a FIDE rating of 2523, the young Ukrainian achieved his feat at an international chess tournament in Sudak, a town on the Crimea Peninsula, Ukraine. Karjakin (pronounced car-yack-kin) had gained his second GM norm in the category 8 (2427) Alushta-100 tournament in the Ukraine. He scored 9.5/13 to share first equal in the tournament with GM Evgenij Miroshnichenko.
Karjakin also served as one of GM Ruslan Pononmariov's seconds in the recent FIDE World Championships. Ponomariov, also from the Ukraine, was impressed with his incredible tactical vision.