Roman Shogdzhiev, a young chess prodigy aged just eight, recently caused a sensation in the chess world by achieving a remarkable feat. It’s official, the young boy has faced five great chess champions at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships. Originally from Elista, in the Russian republic of Kalmykia. Shogdzhiev started playing chess at the age of five, finding in this game a passion that led him to impressive heights.
Feats against grandmasters
At the recently concluded event in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Shogdzhiev demonstrated an understanding of the game far beyond his young age. By defeating two grandmasters and drawing three others, he amazed the chess world with his impressive playing strength.
His first victory against a grandmaster was against the Uzbek Olympic champion Jakhongir Vakhidov, which marked the beginning of a series of remarkable exploits.
An impressed public and opponents
Even experienced grandmasters were surprised by Shogdzhiev’s playing strength. Johan-Sebastian Christiansen, one of the young prodigy’s opponents, admitted:
Even Magnus Carlsen himself was impressed by Shogdzhiev’s performance, stating These kids are strong! It’s very impressive. It’s fun to see, maybe we’ll see it at the top in a few years.”
His beginnings and ambitions
Shogdzhiev’s debut in the world of chess dates back to the age of five, during the pandemic. Since then, he has devoted himself to his art with determination. He has said that he wants to one day become a world champion and challenge Carlsen himself. With the support of his family, now based near Moscow, Shogdzhiev pursues his ambitions with passion and dedication.
Shogdzhiev is not the only young talent to shine on the world chess stage. Players like ten-year-old FM Faustino Oro have also demonstrated their precocious talent by defeating grandmasters.
Thus, the success of Shogdzhiev and other young prodigies is a reminder that in the world of chess, talent and determination have no age. As these young players continue to push the boundaries, the chess world can expect even more spectacular performances in the future.