9-Year-Old Ethan Pang Breaks Faustino Oro's Record To Become Youngest-Ever 2300

9-year-old British prodigy CM Ethan Pang reached another milestone this week when he achieved an official FIDE rating of 2303, breaking Argentinian star IM Faustino Oro's record as the youngest to pass the 2300 mark and earn the FM title.

Pang gained 70 points at the Vezerkepzo IM Tournament, which concluded in Budapest this week. In the six-player double round-robin, the London schoolboy defeated an IM and an FM, and lost just a single game as he also drew seven. With 5.5 points, the prodigy tied for first with 15-year-old FM Imran Md from India, whom he beat in the fourth round.

The event concluded just in time for FIDE to include the event in the November ratings, which were released on Thursday. The new list shows Pang at the top for players born in 2015 or later, 101 points ahead of CM Roman Shogdzhiev from Russia.

By reaching the 2300 mark, Pang at nine years and 226 days has become the youngest player to ever achieve a published rating of 2300. Chess.com's research shows that he is four days younger than Oro when he achieved the mark last year.

"Ethan is thrilled to have finally reached this milestone, albeit just by a whisker," his father Raymond Pang told Chess.com." He added that his son felt a sense of relief knowing after the tournament he had achieved the mark. "He realized that to become a stronger chess player, he must confront both physical and emotional challenges."

Ethan is thrilled to have finally reached this milestone, albeit just by a whisker!

—Raymond Pang

Here's how Pang outplayed 2391-rated Imran in the endgame. "Ethan said he persevered and eventually 'squeezed blood from a stone,' turning a minor advantage in the endgame into a victory," his father said.

Pang learned the game at the school's chess club at the age of five. When he was still only seven, he held a draw in a simul against two-time British Champion GM Gawain Jones. After turning nine in March, he skyrocketed from 1878 to 2212 in just three tournaments to become the youngest-ever 2200 player, a record he also took from Oro.

Just a few months later, he made headlines when he beat three grandmasters in the September version of the Vezerkepzo IM Tournament: Milan Pacher from Slovakia, Attilla Czebe from Hungary, and Zoltan Varga, also from Hungary.

Chess in England has been on the rise recently, partly helped by a $1.25 million investment in chess by the British government. The investment has helped talents such as 15-year-old GM Shreyas Royal, who became the youngest-ever British grandmaster, and nine-year-old WFM Bodhana Sivanandan, who became the youngest ever to score a norm for the WIM title.

IM Malcolm Pein, the English Chess Federation’s Director of International Chess, is thrilled: "Ethan has been busy breaking records this year, and this is the icing on the cake," he said, adding:

"To become a FIDE master aged just nine is astonishing. Ethan is yet another star rolling off the English Chess Federation’s production line of talented youngsters. We are immensely proud of him. English chess is on the up."

Ethan has been busy breaking records this year, and this is the icing on the cake. To become a FIDE master aged just nine is astonishing.

—Malcolm Pein, English Chess Federation

The father said Ethan faced challenges adjusting to school life after the summer, trying to balance school life with chess. "It has been a bit tough. Chess, like many other pursuits, requires a lot of time. Thankfully, he has some flexibility on weekends, and if he does happen to have some spare time during the week, he will certainly use it for chess practice!"

He revealed that Ethan has received regular coaching from an international master for a year, which has been instrumental in his progress. He added: "It has been wonderful to see him embrace the notion that if he truly wants to elevate his game to the next level, he knows he must invest a considerable amount of time and effort—another reason for him to finish his homework quickly! While this journey is challenging, the excitement of reaching the next milestone continues to drive him forward!"

As the youngest-ever 2200 and 2300 player in chess history, Pang now has until September 2025 if he wants to become the youngest to break 2400. That record is currently held by GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov who was 10 and a half when he achieved the mark.

Has British Chess ever had so many superstars in the making than it has now? Could be our golden age fingers crossed @ecf https://t.co/wa0403RADh

— Lawrence Trent (@LawrenceTrentIM) October 31, 2024