Roman Shogdzhiev, 11, earns second GM norm in Serbia to close in on Mishra's youngest-grandmaster record

Roman Shogdzhiev has come a step closer to becoming the youngest grandmaster in chess history. The 11-year-old earned his second GM norm in the 2026 Serbian Super League, Chess.com reported on Wednesday, 14 October. Playing on top board for Partizan, Shogdzhiev scored 6/9 with a performance rating of 2662, well above the 2600 a norm requires.

The norm in Vrnjačka Banja

Shogdzhiev secured the norm in round 9 on Monday, 12 October, when he drew with Hungarian grandmaster Ferenc Berkes, who is rated 2612, at the Hotel Zepter in the spa town of Vrnjačka Banja. Serbian chess site Šahmatlista recorded the draw on board one, although Partizan lost the match against PTT 4-2.

The tournament also gave his rating a lift. Chess.com put his live rating at 2471.1 after a gain of 26.1 points, which tallies with the 2445 published rating listed for him in the Serbian league results.

What he still needs

A player becomes a grandmaster after scoring three GM norms and reaching a FIDE rating of 2500. Shogdzhiev now has two norms, so he needs a third, plus about 29 more rating points.

The record belongs to American GM Abhimanyu Mishra, who qualified in June 2021 aged 12 years, 4 months and 25 days. Shogdzhiev was born on 4 February 2015, which gives him until late June 2027 to beat it. If he completes the title before his 12th birthday in February, he would be the first grandmaster under the age of 12.

He is on a short list of prodigies who have chased this record. After Mishra, the youngest grandmasters include Argentina's Faustino Oro (12 years, 6 months, 26 days), Sergey Karjakin (12 years, 7 months) and India's Gukesh Dommaraju (12 years, 7 months, 17 days).

A run of records

Shogdzhiev has broken age records at every level. In 2025 he became the youngest International Master in history at 10 years, 3 months and 21 days, taking that record from Oro. His first GM norm came in June 2026 at the Asian Individual Championship in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Seeded 50th there, he scored 6/9, went unbeaten against six grandmasters and finished 10th. That made him the youngest player ever to score a GM norm, breaking a record Ukraine's Illya Nyzhnyk had held since 2008.

Shogdzhiev was born in Elista, in Russia's Republic of Kalmykia, and has competed under the FIDE flag since 2022. He has also spent a lot of time playing in Serbia. He earned two of his three IM norms at RadnickiChess events in Belgrade.

Why it matters

The youngest-grandmaster record has become one of chess's most closely followed milestones, with Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Mishra all having chased it in recent years. Shogdzhiev's rate of progress, two GM norms in roughly four months, gives him a realistic chance with more than eight months still available.

Key takeaways

• Roman Shogdzhiev, 11, scored his second GM norm with 6/9 and a 2662 performance in the Serbian Super League.
• He clinched it with a round 9 draw against GM Ferenc Berkes on 12 October.
• He needs one more norm and about 29 rating points to become a grandmaster.
• Abhimanyu Mishra's record is 12 years, 4 months and 25 days. Shogdzhiev has until late June 2027 to beat it.

FAQ

What does a player need to become a grandmaster? Under FIDE's rules, three GM norms (strong performances against GM-level opposition) and a rating of at least 2500.

Who is the youngest grandmaster in history? Abhimanyu Mishra of the United States, who earned the title in June 2021 aged 12 years, 4 months and 25 days.

Where did Shogdzhiev earn his norms? His first came at the Asian Individual Championship in Ulaanbaatar in June 2026. His second came in the Serbian Super League in October 2026.

Sources: Chess.com, Šahmatlista, Wikipedia