“My short-term goal,” Abhimanyu Mishra told Sportstar over the phone from Budapest last month, “is to become the world’s youngest Grandmaster.”

On Wednesday, he reached that goal. The U.S. player of Indian origin has become the world’s youngest ever GM, at 12 years, four months, and 25 days. He beat the record of Sergey Karjakin, who had completed his GM title in 2002 at 12 years and seven months.

Abhimanyu scored his third and final norm by defeating India’s Leon Mendonca in the final round of the Vezerkepzo GM tournament at Budapest. He had reached the Hungarian capital, along with his father Hemant a few months ago, on a one-way ticket. The mission was to complete the GM title.

Abhimanyu did complete the mission, scoring all the three required norms from tournaments in Budapest: the first one came at the Vezerkepzo GM tournament in April and the second at the First Saturday tournament last month.

Two years ago, he had become the world’s youngest International Master, breaking the record of India’s R. Praggnanandhaa. He is coached by two U.S.-settled GMs from Chennai – S. Arun Prasad and P. Magesh Chandran.