Keya Jha becomes the youngest American girl to defeat a Grandmaster
10-year-old Keya Jha has etched her name into chess history as the youngest American ever to defeat a Grandmaster. The prodigy accomplished this remarkable feat by outplaying Grandmaster Bryan Smith in the final round of the 5th Annual Joe Yun Memorial Tournament, held in Akron, Ohio, (see The Chess Calendar). At the time of her victory, Keya Jha was just 10 years, 9 months, and 2 days old, shattering a record previously set by American chess star Carissa Yip, who was 10 years, 11 months, and 20 days old when she defeated a Grandmaster in 2019.
Remarkably, Keya’s historic achievement coincided with another groundbreaking moment in chess. On the same day, 10-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan also defeated a Grandmaster, earning her the title of the youngest player in the world to achieve this feat at 10 years, 5 months, and 3 days old. (see Bodhana go mainstream)
Youngest girls ever to defeat a Grandmaster
| Bodhana Sivanandan | England | 10 years, 5 months, 3 days |
| Keya Jha | USA | 10 years, 9 months, 2 days |
| Carissa Yip | USA | 10 years, 11 months, 20 days |
Photo: Keya Jha, US Chess Federation