Gukesh D Makes History, Becomes The Youngest World Champion Contender (image-twitter/FIDE_chess)
India”s 17-year-old Gukesh D has made history by becoming the world”s youngest player to win the FIDE Candidate Chess Tournament 2024. Gukesh will now challenge China”s Ding Liren, for the crown later this year. He is the second Indian after the great Vishwanathan Anand to win the Candidates. Gukesh has won silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games and scored 9/14 points to clinch the first place in the Candidates.
The achievement surpasses the record set by the legendary Garry Kasparov four decades ago. The young lad has surpassed Kasparov’s record by a significant margin. Kasparov was 22 when he got qualified in 1984.
After winning the game, reflecting on his victory, Gukesh said, “So relieved and happy. I was following this crazy game between Fabio Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi), and then I went for a walk with my second (Gregorz Gazevsky), I think that helped”.
In the final critical round, Gukesh demonstrated his readiness for the elite level by holding Nakamura to a draw. He by winning has showcased his formidable skills on the global stage. The youngster’s exceptional talent and unwavering determination have not only earned him a shot at the world title but have also inspired young chess enthusiasts across the globe.
Gukesh has received a cash prize of 88,500 Euros (approximately Rs 78.5 lakh) out of the total prize fund of 500,000 Euros.
Gukesh on the World Championship final said that it was always his dream for him to win the title, and he is keen to take on the reigning champion Ding. Chess in India has come a long way in the last two years and Gukesh is hopeful of seeing this trend continuing for the years to come.
Meanwhile, the world championship dates and venue are yet to be confirmed. Gukesh is all set to make the next significant stride in the chess world as he has already become the third youngest Grandmaster in history at the age of 12 and won the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
