A Master in waiting: Meet IMC’s first Chess Scholar

Aarit Kapil defeated his first Grandmaster aged eight. Now 10, he’s IMC’s first-ever Chess Scholar—and he’s on course to become one of the youngest International Masters in the history of the game.

Aarit will receive the scholarship from IMC’s Mumbai office through the HelpChess Foundation: a charity backed by ChessBase India that funds promising players who can’t easily pay for their careers themselves. It will cover his coaching, travel, and tournament fees as he challenges for the International Master title.

One norm away…

International Master is one of the most prestigious titles in world chess, just below Grandmaster. Aarit is one strong tournament result (norm) away from reaching his goal, having already earned two qualifying results: at the Menorca Chess Open in April 2026, as well as August’s Serbia Open, where he finished ahead of three Grandmasters.

It’s only a matter of time. Aarit has already proven himself against the world’s best: aged nine, he held chess legend Magnus "The GOAT" Carlsen, who’s also backed by IMC, to a hard-fought draw during Chess.com's famous “Titled Tuesday” online tournament. He’s also the third-youngest player in the world to beat a Grandmaster in classical chess, defeating Raset Ziatdinov in 2024.

As he climbs the rankings, Aarit is following in the footsteps of 21-year-old Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu "Pragg" Praggnanandhaa, now ranked seventh in the world. The two met in April at a special one-time event hosted by IMC Mumbai on the IIT Delhi campus.

Where chess meets trading

Chess and trading speak the same language: both require fast pattern recognition, probabilistic thinking, discipline, and clear decision-making under pressure. That’s why IMC has built a deep connection with the game, from becoming primary sponsor of leading esports team Team Liquid Chess to championing the game at grassroots level. This spring, together with Team Liquid Chess, we launched the IMC Chess Academy: a first-of-its-kind program that brings together the planet’s brightest student players.

 

Our first IMC US Chess Academy Champion was crowned this July at a high-intensity student tournament hosted by our Chicago office. Next stop: Sydney in December, where we’ll be launching the IMC Chess Academy across the APAC region.

 

We plan to grow the Academy format worldwide in years to come. But right now, all eyes are on Aarit—his next move could make history, and we’ll be behind him all the way!