At just 8 years and 6 months old, Ashwath Kaushik became the youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster in classical chess. New chess rising star: Ashwath, born in India and residing in Singapore, clinched victory against 37-year-old Polish grandmaster (GM) Jacek Stopa during the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland on Feb. 18, reported Chess.com.