11-Year-Old Rayaan Rehman Wins Medal for Pakistan After Unbeaten Run at International Chess Tournament in Malaysia
Pakistan’s 11-year-old chess prodigy, Rayaan Rehman, has delivered another remarkable international performance, securing fifth position out of 106 players from nine countries and winning a medal and cash prize at the 3rd CMC 1800 International Classical Chess Tournament, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 31 and November 1, 2026.
The highly competitive tournament had no age restrictions, with Rayaan competing against significantly older and more experienced players.
Representing Pakistan in a competition featuring 106 players from nine countries, Rayaan remained undefeated throughout all seven rounds, scoring an impressive 5.5 points out of 7. The highly competitive, open-age tournament had no age restrictions, meaning the young Pakistani competed against players significantly older and more experienced than himself.
One of the biggest highlights of the tournament was Rayaan’s victory against the tournament’s No. 1 seed and highest-rated participant. The opponent is an accomplished Malaysian chess player with multiple championship podium finishes and national-level school chess recognition.
The victory was particularly significant given Rayaan’s young age and his opponent’s extensive competitive experience.
Rayaan finished with the same 5.5 points as the third- and fourth-placed players, with the final positions determined by tie-break calculations. His fifth-place finish earned him a medal and cash prize, capping an outstanding undefeated tournament performance.
His performance also resulted in a calculated gain of approximately 80 FIDE classical rating points, with a tournament performance rating of 1863, demonstrating his ability to compete successfully against stronger and more experienced international opposition.
A Growing International Chess Career
Rayaan’s latest achievement follows a series of appearances at major international chess competitions, where he has represented Pakistan against talented young players and experienced competitors from across the world.
His international tournament experience includes:
- Asian Youth Chess Championship — Kazakhstan: One of his earliest major international appearances, competing against leading young players from across Asia.
- Asian Schools Chess Championship 2024 — Bangkok, Thailand: Rayaan emerged as the best-performing Pakistani player in the competition.
- Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025 — Malaysia: Competed against strong players from Commonwealth countries.
- 28th Asian Youth Chess Championships 2026 — Shenzhen, China: Participated in one of Asia’s leading youth chess competitions, featuring hundreds of players from across the continent.
- Asian Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 — Hong Kong: Competed against experienced international players, including titled competitors. In a notable encounter, Rayaan held India’s Candidate Master (CM) Sahil Tickoo to a draw in the Asian Blitz Chess Championship, demonstrating his ability to challenge accomplished and significantly higher-rated players despite his young age.
- 3rd CMC 1800 International Chess Tournament 2026 — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Secured 5th position out of 106 highly competitive players from nine countries in an open-age tournament with no age restrictions. Rayaan remained undefeated across all seven rounds, defeated the tournament’s No. 1 seed and highest-rated player, and received a medal and cash prize.
Across his international appearances, Rayaan has recorded victories against players representing several countries, including India, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Mongolia, Oman and others.
From National Champion to Multiple FIDE Arena Titles
Rayaan’s rise in chess has been remarkable for his age.
In 2025, he became Pakistan’s National Under-10 Chess Champion, establishing himself as one of the country’s leading young chess talents.
He also made history by becoming the youngest Pakistani to achieve the Arena Candidate Master (ACM) title at the age of eight, followed by the Arena FIDE Master (AFM) title at nine.
Earlier in 2026, he added the Arena International Master (AIM) title to his achievements, becoming one of Pakistan’s youngest recipients of the FIDE-recognised online arena title. This achievement was previously reported by ProPakistani in May 2026.
Beyond his international performances, Rayaan has accumulated numerous national, provincial and inter-school chess titles, consistently finishing among the top performers across different age categories.
He has also demonstrated his strength in open-age competitions, frequently competing against seasoned and higher-rated opponents. His domestic achievements include several championship victories, podium finishes and impressive performances in national-level events against much older players.
A Young Talent with Bigger Ambitions
What distinguishes Rayaan’s progress is his ability to compete confidently against much older and higher-rated players. While many children his age compete primarily in junior categories, Rayaan regularly participates in open tournaments where there are no age restrictions.
His latest performance in Malaysia reflects not only his developing chess abilities but also his growing maturity, resilience and discipline under competitive pressure.
The 11-year-old has also excelled academically. A regional spelling bee champion, Rayaan previously secured all As and A*s in his Grade 5 examinations, balancing his studies with a demanding chess training and competition schedule.
With a national championship title, multiple FIDE Arena titles, numerous domestic achievements and growing international experience already under his belt, Rayaan continues to pursue an ambitious long-term goal: becoming Pakistan’s first chess Grandmaster and a World Chess Champion.
His latest achievement in Malaysia — finishing fifth among 106 international competitors, remaining undefeated throughout the tournament, defeating the No. 1 seed and highest-rated player, and bringing home a medal and cash prize for Pakistan — marks another significant milestone in his journey and highlights the promise of Pakistan’s emerging generation of chess talent.
Reference Link:- https://propakistani.pk/2026/11/02/11-year-old-rayaan-rehman-wins-medal-for-pakistan-after-unbeaten-run-at-international-chess-tournament-in-malaysia/
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
