Elena earned the rating after competing in the Odisha State Blitz FIDE Rating Open Chess Championship 2026 held last month at Mother’s Public School in Bhubaneswar.India’s growing stature in chess has been underlined by the success of players such as five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and reigning world champion D Gukesh, along with India’s historic double gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad.Now, four-year-old Elena Mishra from Odisha has added another remarkable achievement to India’s chess story. She has become the youngest female player ever to feature on an official FIDE rating list, achieving the feat at just 4 years, 6 months and 16 days old.The September FIDE rating list shows Elena with a Blitz rating of 1432. She is also currently the only female player born in 2022 or later to have an official FIDE rating in any time-control format.Elena earned the rating after competing in the Odisha State Blitz FIDE Rating Open Chess Championship 2026 held last month at Mother’s Public School in Bhubaneswar, according to news portal Odisha Bytes.Her achievement also drew praise from Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who congratulated the young chess player in a post on X. “Heartiest congratulations to 4-year-old Elena Mishra of Odisha on creating history as the youngest female player to hold an official FIDE rating. At an age when most children are taking their first steps into learning, Elena has already made her mark on the world of chess. Her achievement is a proud reflection of exceptional talent, dedication and determination,” Majhi wrote.Read the post:Heartiest congratulations to 4-year-old Elena Mishra of Odisha on creating history as the youngest female player to hold an official FIDE rating.At an age when most children are taking their first steps into learning, Elena has already made her mark on the world of chess. Her… pic.twitter.com/kpjlluUltc— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) September 2, 2026 “May Elena’s remarkable journey inspire many more young minds across Odisha to dream big, pursue their passion and achieve excellence. My best wishes to Elena and her family for many more milestones ahead,” he added.The achievement quickly caught the attention of social media users, who showered Elena and her family with congratulatory messages.Story continues below this ad“A truly inspiring achievement at such a young age. Heartiest congratulations to little Elena Mishra and her proud family. Her remarkable talent and determination are a wonderful inspiration for children across Odisha. Wishing this young champion many more victories and milestones in the years ahead,” one user wrote.“Congratulations,” another user commented, while several others responded with heart and fire emojis.While Elena is now the youngest female player to appear on an official FIDE rating list, she does not hold the record for the youngest player overall. That distinction belongs to Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha of Madhya Pradesh, who appeared on the December 2025 FIDE list with a rapid rating at the age of 3 years, 7 months and 20 days.