Meet “Chin” – Thailand’s 10-Year-Old Chess Sensation!You’ve heard of the 1st ASEAN E-Sports Chess Cup (June 13, 2026, Bangkok) – but here’s the story everyone missed including me. Would not have known about it if not for one obscure post in Facebook by Thailand’s Red Knight club.(I shared this somewhere in my FB page - fb.com/gilachess)
His real name is Pakornnarong Liukasemsarn, a young chess prodigy from Thailand, born in 2015 – making him just 10 or 11 years old during the tournament.
How the tournament worked
Fast-paced esports rapid format: 10 minutes per player, no increment
22 players split into 4 groups
Magnus Carlsen (eventual winner) was in Group A
Chin was drawn into Group D – so no early showdown with Magnus
The MASSIVE upset no one saw comingDespite entering with an ELO of ~1845, Chin pulled off an incredible shocker –
He defeated Russian Grandmaster Andrey Esipenko (rated 2684) in their Group D match.
That’s an ~840-point rating gap!
Why this is a big deal| GM Episenko- credits: Chessbase India |
Esipenko is a super-GM, a Candidates Tournament participant, and one of the few players to have beaten Magnus Carlsen in classical chess.
A 10-year-old with an 1800-level rating taking down a 2680+ giant in a high-stakes event?
Monumental.
Historic.
Absolutely mind-blowing.
Look out for this kidReminds me of a young Yeoh Li Tian – fearless, talented, and ready for the big stage.
Thailand, you’ve got a future star on your hands.#ASEANEchescup #ChessProdigy #Chin #ThailandChess #GiantSlayer #FutureGM
Photo credits: https://www.facebook.com/RedKnightChess

