Khagan Ahmad is a young teenage chess prodigy who is currently making headlines after defeating Hikaru Nakamura at the 2025 World Blitz Team Championship
Ahmad, who is a young International Master, stunned the chess world by defeating the current World No. 2 Grandmaster.
Who is chess player Khagan Ahmad who defeated Hikaru Nakamura, bio, age, FIDE rating, nationality and religion
😲 In a big surprise of the day, 13-year-old IM Ahmad Khagan (2290) from Turkish Airlines stunned GM Hikaru Nakamura (2837) in round five.
During the day, Khagan proved his victory was not an accident – he won 9 out of 13 games, facing strong grandmasters.
📷 Rafal… pic.twitter.com/6rlnl3AtQo
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) June 14, 2025
Upset! 🚨‼️
Biggest upset of all time?
🇺🇸 GM Hikaru Nakamura (2837) loses to 🇦🇿 13-year old IM Ahmad Khagan (2290) in Round 5 of the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship! 😱🔥#FIDERapidBlitzTeams pic.twitter.com/DrGDbXSoFo
— Chess For Sharks (@ChessForSharks) June 14, 2025
The defeat has seemingly sent shockwaves through the tournament, going viral across social media, with fans sparking all kinds of reactions.
Khagan Ahmad defeats Hikaru Nakamura
Young Azerbaijani chess prodigy Khagan Ahmad has seemingly managed to defeat Hikaru Nakamura despite the latter winning six matches and WR Chess dominating all 12 games on Day 1. Ahmad represents Turkish Airlines Sports Club and seemingly dominated the whole match right from the start. Following his victory over Nakamura, Ahmad completed a hat trick of wins before eventually securing nine consecutive wins in total.
Following the match, fans quickly circulated videos of the match that the FIDE shared, sparking all kinds of reactions. One user even commented:
Chess humbles us all.”
While others commented:
Hikaru has such a bloated ego… glad a kid put a checkmate to it.”
Khagan Ahmad biography and age
Khagan Ahmad who is a Muslim is a teenage chess prodigy who was born in 2011, in Azerbaijan. He is currently just 13 years old but he is already an International Master at just 13 years old. Khagan represents the Turkish Airlines Sports Club and presently holds an Elo rating of 2232. He is known for his sharp tactical acumen and his calmness under pressure. Ahmad has seemingly emerged to become one of the brightest young talents in international chess.
FIDE Rating: 2394. STANDARD. rapid. 2301. RAPID. blitz. 2290
Titles
International Master (IM) 2024
FIDE Master (FM) 2023
Family
Although the exact details about Ahmad’s family remain private, he has often credited his parents for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout his chess journey. Khagan’s parents reportedly enrolled him in a local chess school when he was still very young.
Education
Ahmad currently attends a school in Azerbaijan that is known for supporting young athletes and prodigies.
Career
Despite still being very young, Khagan Ahmad has rapidly risen through the ranks in youth and open tournaments across Europe. Prior to competing in the World Blitz Team Championship, he had already claimed multiple age-group titles besides displaying strong showings in international competitions. His most recent performance have seemingly added further to his rise toward a Grandmaster title.