Prodigy Elena Mishra Scripts History On Board, ‘Chess has given us everything’, Gushes Mother

New Delhi, September 11: When 4-year-old Elena Mishra's name appeared on the September 2026 FIDE Ranking list, 2 pair of eyes in the quiet town of Bhubaneswar stared at their screens, wide in disbelief. For their daughter had just become the youngest female player to achieve FIDE (International Chess Federation) ratings. At 4 years, 6 months, and 16 days, she scored a blitz rating of 1432 after beating two FIDE-rated chess players at the Odisha State Blitz FIDE Rating Open Chess Championship-2026. The young prodigy is currently the only female player born in 2022 or later to hold an official FIDE rating in any of the three formats (Classical, Rapid and Blitz).

Endless phone calls and media interactions followed, with Grandmaster Swayams Mishra and investment banker-turned-coach Chandrima Mishra finally smiling in satisfaction that their daughter has taken chess to another level, a game that has given them everything in life.

Winding down a day with training, interviews and congratulatory messages, the proud parents sat down for a tête-à-tête and gave us a peek into the budding prodigy's growth as a chess player, her first interactions with the game, her performances and what lies ahead.

Q. When did Elena start playing chess? What attracted her towards the game?

A. Chandrima, Elena's mother: Elena's father (my husband) is a grand master himself. He is also a coach. We had a conducive environment for chess in our house as Elena grew up. She always saw her father's students coming home to learn chess and considered chess pieces as toys. So we slowly started introducing chess pieces to her as toys, like blocks and toy trains, when she was close to one year old. By the age of one, she already knew the names of all the pieces. She knew about chess even before she knew the alphabet. By age 2, she began setting up the chessboard by herself. When she was 2 years 10 months old, she played her first tournament. This year she won the U7 state championship.

Q. She is now the youngest woman player to achieve a FIDE ranking in blitz. But blitz is like a T20 match, which requires quick thinking and a rapid pace. So how did you acquaint her with blitz?

A. Chandrima, Elena's mother: It came as a surprise for us too. She has always played classical tournaments. We had always encouraged her to think and play (as in classical). Her games continue for 2-3 hours at the national championships. We never thought that she would be able to play blitz. In July, the Sports and Youth Services Department, Govt of Odisha, had organised a tournament called 'ProChessta Queen' on International Chess Day. We had taken her there (to participate) just for fun. In fact, it was the previous night of the tournament when I told her about the blitz format, how she has to make fast moves on the chessboard in three minutes, and we practised briefly. But surprisingly, she performed well, and we felt confident enough to let her play in the Rapid and Blitz formats. Hence, we made her participate in the state-level Championship a few days later.

Q. Which tournament did she have to play to qualify for the FIDE rankings?

A. To earn FIDE ratings in any tournament, one has to play FIDE-rated tournaments. When she played in the Orissa Rapid and Blitz Tournament, held at the Mother Public School, she defeated two FIDE-rated players in the Blitz format, which is how she secured her FIDE rankings. Out of a total of 9 rounds in the tournament, she faced 7 rated players and 2 unrated players. She won 4 points out of the 9 rounds, after defeating the rated players. She played in the Rapid format at the tournament as well but could not succeed further.

Q. How old were the rated players who Elena defeated in the Championship?

A. She defeated a boy and a girl who are aged between 12 and 13 years at the Championship.

Q. As parents, what do you plan for her in chess? Will she continue playing just Rapid and Blitz, or will she also transition to classical?

A. Right now, we just want her to enjoy the game (Chess). There is no particular format that we are focusing on. She has to play in all the formats. Classical chess will remain the top focus, as it has the maximum number of tournaments. We just want her to enjoy and grow as a player.

Q. Where do you want her to compete as a professional player right now, or do you just want her to enjoy chess at this moment?

A. Right now, Elena is quite young. Since chess has given us a lot, we are just happy that our child has learnt the game. We will leave it to her to decide whether she wants to take up chess professionally or not.

Q. Swayams, you are a chess Grandmaster yourself. So, how does it feel that your daughter has achieved such a feat at such a tender age? Where do you want to see her in the future as a chess player?

A. It is very motivating to see that she has achieved FIDE ratings in Blitz at such a young age. She has exceeded our expectations. It will be great if she plays and wins in National and World championships in the future. But I am also very conscious and trying to ensure that there is no such pressure on her.

Q. Which tournament is Elena planning to play this season?

A. We are planning to make her participate in the National Schools Chess Championship 2026, which will be held in Gujarat in December. She will continue to play local championships here whenever time allows.