By Leon Watson
England’s record-breaking crop of chess talents scored another incredible milestone this week when nine-year-old north London schoolboy Ethan Pang became the youngest-ever to pass the 2300 rating mark in an official list and earn the FIDE Master (FM) title.
Updated rating lists for November, released by the chess governing body FIDE, show Westminster Under School pupil Ethan Pang with a stellar rating of 2303. It makes him the world’s top player in both the under-nine and under-10 age groups.
Achieving the mark aged nine years and seven months, Pang also surpassed the record set by world-renowned talent International Master Faustino Oro. There is a technical caveat, however: the Argentinian Oro gained the rating points to pass 2300 younger, but had to wait for his rating to be published by FIDE. Oro was four days older when his rating was made official.
Oro and Pang have been battling for records throughout this year. In July, Pang became the youngest player ever to surpass 2200, allowing him to obtain the title of Candidate Master (CM).
In September he beat three grandmasters at the Vezerkepzo IM tournament in Budapest. Pang beat 34-year-old GM Milan Pacher from Slovakia, 48-year-old GM Attilla Czebe from Hungary, and 54-year-old GM Zoltan Varga, also from Hungary.
Pang scored the points he needed to go past 2300 at a second Vezerkepzo tournament in October. It took him just four months to gain 100 rating points—an extraordinarily quick rise, in chess terms.
Raymond Pang, Ethan’s father, told the English Chess Federation: “As his parents, we couldn’t be prouder of his recent accomplishments through his hard work and determination. He adopts a ‘never give up’ attitude that was instilled by one of his earlier chess coaches.
“Chess is a sport that instills perseverance and resilience, and it’s inspiring to see him begin to realize how this journey will help him navigate both physical and mental challenges, not just for chess, but hopefully in all aspects of life.
“We hope he continues to grow through these experiences, understanding that each challenge is an opportunity to learn and evolve.”
Malcolm Pein, the English Chess Federation’s Director of International Chess, said: “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.
“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.”
