In a recent FIDE Candidates tournament, 12-year-old FIDE Master Aarav Sarbalia joined a YouTube commentary team to analyze a match between Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Javokhir Sindarov. During the live broadcast from Cyprus, Aarav impressed viewers by accurately predicting moves in complex positions, despite the players being top grandmasters.
This young player has become a sensation in the online chess community, not only for his skills on the board but also for his social media presence. His father, Yatin Sarbalia, describes their videos as entertaining short clips that share insights from their chess journey.
Parents at tournaments often praise the content, particularly reels about family experiences in chess. The goal is to raise awareness and inspire others by presenting their experiences in an engaging format.
Aarav has attracted notable followers, including chess icon Judit Polgar and coach Vishnu Prasanna, who trained world champion Gukesh Dommaraju. Some grandmasters even recommend his videos to their students.
The family’s chess involvement began during the 2020 pandemic. After relocating from Delhi to Bengaluru, Yatin, an IIT Roorkee graduate and tech professional, enrolled Aarav in an academy run by RB Ramesh. Yatin learned alongside his son to provide support.
By age 11, Aarav earned his FIDE Master title and achieved strong results in youth competitions. Seeking sponsorship proved challenging due to limited online visibility, prompting the family to build a social media profile.
Aarav’s parents manage the content creation, scripting and filming sessions in advance. Aarav spends minimal time on it, focusing primarily on chess. He does not have his own phone to avoid distractions.
This strategy has paid off, securing sponsorship from a chess-related company to cover the high costs of international tournaments. The family aims for Aarav to become a grandmaster, directing all efforts toward that objective.
