At 4, Elena Mishra becomes youngest female FIDE-rated chess player

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.