A 12-year-old is now an IM. FIDE has approved the International Master title of England's Supratit Banerjee, a decision made public on October 7, 2026, as ChessBase reported. He is the youngest English player to hold it, breaking the mark of GM Shreyas Royal.
The English Chess Federation (ECF) shared the news in a press release and congratulated the 12-year-old, his family, his coaches and everyone who had helped him along the way.
Royal, now the British champion, had held the previous English benchmark at 13 years and seven months. Supratit has gone clearly below it.
The FIDE Council ratified the title on September 27, 2026, at a meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The announcement followed on October 7.
"Supratit's skill and hard work are paying off with the honour of this title," a spokesperson for the English Chess Federation said in the release published by ChessBase.
The same spokesperson added that the young player has a wonderful future in the game.
How Supratit earned the title
The requirements were three International Master norms and a rating above 2400, and Supratit met both, ChessBase explained.
According to ChessBase, one of those norms came at the 2025 British Chess Championships.
Representing England internationally, he has drawn praise in the report for his results against seasoned grandmasters and international masters, all while fitting chess around school.
His mother, Pooja, said the journey started in Glasgow with little coaching or resources. She added that the family, new to competitive chess, had to find their own way after moving to London.
"Balancing chess training and tournaments with 11+ exams, homework, academics and catching up on missed classes has been a constant challenge," Pooja, Supratit's mother, said in the statement carried by ChessBase.
Help later arrived from clubs, coaches, the ECF and chess trusts, she said.
A crop of young English talent
ChessBase framed the title as part of a wider wave of young English players. That group includes 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan, described in the report as Britain's youngest WGM.
In 2026, Supratit was also invited to training camps organized by the Kasparov Chess Foundation.
"That was an amazing experience, especially getting the opportunity to talk to one of the greatest players in chess history," Supratit said, according to ChessBase.
What comes next for Supratit
The ECF wished him well and said it hopes he keeps climbing the rankings. His mother put it more simply, calling the IM title just the beginning.
Learning from Supratit's path
Supratit built his title from games against experienced GMs and IMs. For a club player, regular games against opponents a little above your level are one way to test yourself.
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