Ten-year-old Malaysian girl sets world record for blindfolded chess set arrangement

A young girl from Malaysia Punithamalar Rajashekar was able to secure a place in the Guinness World Records as she brilliantly arranged the chessboard in just 45.72 seconds while blindfolded, becoming the quickest blindfolded chess set arrangement.

The 10-year-old revealed her skill in her school in the presence of her teachers, parents and school management.

After achieving a remarkable milestone, she remarked to the Guinness World Records that, "my dad is my coach, and we play together almost every day."

While explaining the world record, she noted that it had a significant impact on her life, filling her with pride and a sense of uniqueness, sharing her hope that her success would inspire others to pursue their own extraordinary objectives.

The genius girl said that the idea to attempt a world record came to her while watching a documentary about extraordinary accomplishments. She said: "Seeing people push their limits and achieve incredible feats really inspired me."

"I was particularly drawn to the idea of setting a personal goal and pushing myself beyond my limits, and attempting a world record seemed like the perfect way to do that."

She is also an excellent chess player, who started playing when she was five years old and she is the best player at her school, which she represented at a district chess competition.

She also regularly participates in nationwide tournaments and is a FIDE (International Chess Federation) registered member.

"I had already participated in various events such as Kids Got Talent, and I felt that I wanted to achieve more recognition. My father suggested that I should focus on my passion, so my family and I decided that I should aim to break this particular record," the 10-year-old said.

Upon asking her inspirations and life-long goal, she said that she loved mathematics, and aspires to become a space scientist.

According to the statement from the Guinness World Records, she secured several awards, including Asia’s Outstanding Child Award of the Year 2022-2023, and has showcased her skills in various competitions, such as Malaysia's Kids Got Talent.

She commented on her training: "I studied videos of previous record holders to understand their techniques and strategies."

On breaking a world record, she said that it was a life-changing experience, that she felt "pride and uniqueness", and that she hoped it would inspire others to reach for their own extraordinary goals.