GUWAHATI: In a historic achievement, India's 17-year-old chess prodigy Dommaraju Gukesh has become the youngest player to win the Candidates Chess Tournament, securing his place in the annals of chess history and earning the right to challenge the reigning World Chess Champion, Ding Liren.
Gukesh's victory at just 17 years old surpasses the record previously held by chess legend Garry Kasparov for over 40 years. Scoring 9/14 points, Gukesh's performance in the tournament was nothing short of remarkable, making him the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to clinch the title in this prestigious event.
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In the decisive final round, Gukesh exhibited composure and skill by holding American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura to a draw. With Gukesh securing 9 points, all eyes were on the match between Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Caruana initially held the advantage, but a critical error due to time pressure evened the playing field, leading to a draw. This result confirmed Gukesh's victory, with Caruana, Nepomniachtchi, and Nakamura tying for second place with 8.5 points each.
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Indian Grandmasters Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi finished in fifth and sixth places respectively with seven and six points. As Gukesh left the tournament venue, he was greeted by a throng of fans eager to take selfies and offer their congratulations on his extraordinary achievement.
Following his outstanding win, congratulatory messages poured in for the young chess star. Anand, India's first World Chess Champion, expressed his admiration on social media, saying, "I'm personally very proud of how you played and handled tough situations."