A quiet name suddenly took over chess timelines this week, and it didn’t belong to a grandmaster or a veteran legend.It belonged to Sergey Sklokin, a 12-year-old chess prodigy who did the unthinkable: he defeated reigning world champion D. Gukesh at the FIDE World Blitz Championship 2025. And no, this wasn’t a lucky slip or a flashy one-move trick. It was a long, tense battle that ended with the world champion resigning.So who exactly is Sergey Sklokin, and why is the chess world suddenly paying very close attention?
The moment everyone started asking his name
The upset happened in the third round of the World Blitz Championship. Sklokin, playing with the white pieces, calmly pushed Gukesh into deep time trouble. On move 70, under extreme pressure, Gukesh made a costly mistake. Ten moves later, with no way out, the world champion resigned.The visual alone was striking: a 12-year-old sitting across the board from one of the biggest names in modern chess, and winning.What made it even more shocking was the numbers. Gukesh had a blitz rating of 2628. Sklokin was rated around 2400. On paper, the gap was massive. On the board, it didn’t matter.
Not a fluke, not a one-off
If this was the first time Sergey Sklokin had done something extraordinary, people might have brushed it off as “one of those things.” But his record tells a very different story.Born in 2013, Sklokin already holds the FIDE Master (FM) title, which he earned in 2024 – an achievement many players never reach in a lifetime. He plays under the FIDE Federation flag and is of Armenian-Russian heritage.And this wasn’t his only headline moment in Doha.At the World Rapid Championship, Sklokin finished 90th – which might sound modest until you look closer. He gained 226.4 rating points, the highest increase by any player in the Open category. That kind of rating jump at a world championship isn’t normal. It’s a warning sign.
A child prodigy with a serious résumé
Long before this win against Gukesh, Sklokin was already being quietly tracked by chess insiders.In 2023, he became triple World Champion in the Under-10 category, winning titles in:BlitzRapidChess compositionYes, chess composition too. Not just speed and tactics, but creativity.That same year, he became one of the youngest players ever to defeat a Grandmaster, and he has since beaten several top names online, including Hikaru Nakamura.He was also selected as one of just 13 children worldwide to attend the FIDE Chessable Academy’s in-person camp, where he trained under legends like Judit Polgar and Artur Yusupov. You don’t get invited there unless people think you’re special.
Calm under pressure, scary for opponents
What stands out about Sklokin isn’t just his age, it’s his composure.Against Gukesh, when both players were running on seconds, Sklokin didn’t rush. He offered a rook exchange at a critical moment, kept control of the position, and waited. When Gukesh declined and tried to fight on, Sklokin punished the decision without panic.That kind of patience is rare even among elite adults.Why this win matters beyond one gameBlitz chess is chaotic. Mistakes happen. But this wasn’t chaos, it was control.Sklokin didn’t just beat a world champion. He outlasted him. And he did it at an age where most kids are still figuring out how to sit through a full tournament.The chess world has seen prodigies before. But moments like this, on a world stage, against a reigning champion, are how legends quietly begin.Sergey Sklokin may only be 12, but one thing is clear now: this is a name we’re going to hear a lot more of.And for everyone who just Googled him after that game, you’re not late. You’re right on time.
