Aryan Chopra, one of the youngest grandmasters in history, will represent Saint Louis University at the National Collegiate Chess Championship later this month. The 14-year-old Indian prodigy balances elite international competition with his studies as a business major at SLU. His participation brings significant experience to the team's President's Cup campaign.
Aryan Chopra's journey to the chess elite began unexpectedly after a childhood accident at age six. 'I was playing in my neighborhood and bent down to pick something up,' Chopra recounted. 'A car was reversing and I ended up underneath it. I lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital.' During recovery, he discovered chess among his birthday gifts and became fascinated with the knight's movement. 'At six years old, I realized a knight could cover eight squares,' he said.
With family support, including private coaching arranged by his father, Chopra progressed rapidly. After just five training sessions, he won the Delhi Under-7 State Championship with a perfect score. 'Others had been training for over a year,' he noted. His achievements include a silver medal at the Asian Under-8 Championship and multiple top-10 finishes in national Indian tournaments.
A pivotal moment came in 2016 at an international tournament in Abu Dhabi, where he earned his grandmaster title at age 14. 'I had to win against a stronger player with the black pieces to get my final Grandmaster title,' Chopra said. 'I won that game and became a Grandmaster at 14 years.' At the time, he was the youngest grandmaster in the world and the second youngest from India.
Now ranked among the top 100 players globally, Chopra has faced top competition, including three over-the-board games against world champion Gukesh Dommaraju. Their encounters resulted in two draws and one loss for Chopra. 'I've played Gukesh three times in over-the-board games,' he said, detailing matches from the 2022 National Championship, 2022 Menorca Open, and 2023 Menorca Open.
Balancing chess and academics, Chopra maintains focus. 'I try to do the best at whatever I am currently doing,' he explained. 'During the semester, I focus on my studies, but before an event, I shift my focus entirely to chess.' SLU chess coach Varuzhan Akobian praised his addition: 'Aryan is an exceptionally talented chess Grandmaster, and I am very glad to have him on our SLU A team.'
Chopra and the SLU team will compete in the President's Cup, the national collegiate chess championship hosted by the University of Missouri, on March 21-22. His composure under pressure, honed in grueling matches like an eight-hour game at the 2025 Grand Swiss, will be key. 'You can play 40 good moves, but one mistake can make it all for nothing,' he reflected.
