✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Nihal Sarin

Nihal Sarin biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Nihal Sarin Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth13 July 2004

Age18 Years (as of 2022)

BirthplaceThrissur, Kerala

ProfessionChess player

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Sarin Abdulsalam; Mother - Shijin Ammanam Veetil Ummar; Sister - Neha Sarin

Nihal Sarin Biography

Nihal Sarin is an Indian chess grandmaster from Thrissur, Kerala, known as one of the youngest players to cross the 2600 Elo mark. A multiple youth and age

Early life and background

Nihal Sarin was born on 13 July 2004 in Thrissur, Kerala. He grew up in the state and attended Excelsior English School in Kottayam and Devamatha CMI Public School in Thrissur. His parents are Sarin Abdulsalam, a dermatologist, and Shijin Ammanam Veetil Ummar, a psychiatrist. He has a sister named Neha Sarin.

From a very young age Nihal showed unusual abilities with facts and memory. He learned chess at six during a summer break; his father first introduced him to the game and his grandfather A. A. Ummar taught him the basic rules. He played his first tournament at age six.

Career

Nihal moved quickly through age-group competition in Kerala, winning multiple state titles: U-7 in 2011 and later U-9, U-11 and U-15 categories. He was twice runner-up in the state under-19 championship when he was eight and ten. On the international youth stage he collected several medals, including the World Blitz Under-10 title (2013), the Asian Youth Under-10 Championship (2014) and team and individual honours at youth Olympiads.

Progressing through FIDE titles, he earned the Candidate Master title in 2014 at the World Youth Championship (U-10) and became a FIDE Master in 2015 after crossing the 2300 Elo threshold. He made steady progress through international events, registering International Master norms at tournaments such as Cappelle la Grande and Sunway Sitges, and secured his third IM norm at Aeroflot B Open in 2017.

Nihal achieved his grandmaster title in 2018. That year he debuted in the Isbank Turkish Super League and became the 53rd grandmaster of India after strong performances at events including the Abu Dhabi Masters. In 2019 he became one of the youngest Indians to play in the Chess World Cup and earlier had become the fourth youngest player to cross 2600 Elo at age fourteen.

The year 2020 saw Nihal adapt strongly to online chess. He won the Junior Speed Chess Championship, Capechecs Online, Super Juniors Cup and the World Youth Chess Championship (under-18). He was also part of India’s efforts in online team events, contributing to medal-winning campaigns. In December 2020 he was crowned under-18 World Youth Chess Champion.

In 2021 Nihal continued to add open tournament victories to his record, taking first place at the Silver Lake Open and winning the Serbia Open Masters. He also won the Junior Speed Chess Championship again. In April 2021 he participated in special training sessions with former world champions Judit Polgár and Vladimir Kramnik and, later that month, registered a notable blitz win against the reigning world champion in online play.

Coaching and influences

Nihal studied under a number of coaches through his development. Early regular training came from Mathew P. Joseph Pottoore at school, and from 2013 he benefitted from coaching with E. P. Nirmal. Later work with coaches included Dimitri Komarov and Srinath Narayanan, and he has also trained with Viswanathan Anand.

Public profile

Nihal maintains a public presence through competitive play and community engagement. He has appeared as a guest competitor on Malayalam television and has used live online events to raise funds for charitable causes and disaster relief. In 2018 he helped raise funds for Kerala flood relief through a live YouTube show and since 2019 has been sponsored by Akshayakalpa, an Indian organic milk company.

Awards and recognition

Beyond tournament medals and titles, Nihal received the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement in 2016 and a Gazprom Brilliancy Prize in 2020. His rapid rise as a young grandmaster drew attention from established players and commentators, who have praised his potential.

Latest updates

As of August 2022 Nihal had a FIDE rating of 2651 and was ranked among the world’s top 100 players. He remains unmarried and based in Kerala, continuing to compete across classical, rapid and blitz formats while participating in online events and training projects with elite coaches.
◈

Recent Work

Serbia Open Masters

Tournament victory at the Serbia Open Masters.

2021
Silver Lake Open

First place finish at the Silver Lake Open.

2021
Junior Speed Chess Championship

Winner of the Junior Speed Chess Championship (online rapid/blitz junior event).

2021
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Became a grandmaster in 2018, the 53rd grandmaster of India
  2. Fourth youngest player to cross 2600 Elo at age 14
  3. Under-18 World Youth Chess Champion (December 2020)
  4. Winner of World Blitz Under-10 Championship (2013) and multiple Asian youth titles
  5. FIDE rating 2651 and ranked No. 98 in August 2022
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Nihal Sarin born?

13 July 2004

What is Nihal Sarin known for?

Chess player

What is Nihal Sarin’s marital status?

Unmarried