By 17-year-old Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, known as Gukesh D, became the youngest player to win the men’s Candidates Tournament in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, according to CNN.
This victory paves the way for Gukesh to challenge reigning world champion Ding Liren of China later this year at the 2024 World Chess Championship.
If Gukesh manages to defeat Ding, who has been struggling with poor form recently, he will break Garry Kasparov’s long-standing record of being the youngest world champion at the age of 22. Gukesh, currently ranked 16th in the world by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), secured his title after a comfortable draw with world number 3 Hikaru Nakamura, a five-time US chess champion more than twice his age.
Indian fans have celebrated Gukesh’s achievement, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised his “remarkable achievement” and “extraordinary talent and dedication” on social media.
The young grandmaster expressed his excitement about playing in the world championship and is looking forward to the preparations, stating that his journey is “only halfway through.”
The previous youngest winner of a Candidates tournament was Russian prodigy Kasparov, who won in 1984 at the age of 20.
Kasparov, who went on to win multiple world championships, praised Gukesh and the growing chess talent coming from Asian and Asian diaspora communities in countries like the United States and Britain.
Gukesh will compete against 31-year-old Chinese star Ding, who in 2023 became the first Chinese men’s player in history to win the world championship.
However, Ding has struggled with form since taking a nine-month break from competitions after his victory.
India boasts a wealth of young chess talent, with Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 18, also participating in the men’s candidates tournament. “Pragg,” as he is known to fans, famously stunned the chess world by beating Magnus Carlsen in 2022, becoming the youngest international chess master at the age of 10.
Gukesh is only the second Indian to play in a world championship, following legendary Indian player Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand, whom he overtook to become India’s top-ranked player last September.
Anand, a five-time world champion and the country’s top player for nearly 40 years, expressed his pride in Gukesh’s performance and handling of tough situations.
(Credit: CNN)
