Gukesh, a 17-year-old Grandmaster (GM) hailing from India, made history in Toronto on Monday by clinching the FIDE Candidates tournament title, becoming its youngest winner. With a remarkable nine points, he emerged atop the table in the eight-player contest, securing a spot in the World Championship final.
This achievement places him as only the second Indian to qualify for a World Championship final, following in the footsteps of his mentor and five-time World champion, Viswanathan Anand, associated with the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy.
Gukesh’s fate in the tournament was sealed after holding Hikaru Nakamura to a draw in Round 14, while the outcome of the final game between Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia and top-seeded American Fabiano Caruana determined his advancement.
As the match concluded in a draw, Gukesh’s place in the World Chess Championship final against reigning champion, China’s Ding Liren, was confirmed.
Gukesh, a native of Chennai, embarked on his chess journey at the age of seven, swiftly earning a FIDE rating within six months of learning the game. His first international success came from winning the U-9 Asian Schools Chess Championship in 2015 which also earned him the Candidate Master (CM) title. His early achievements flourished as he secured the U-12 World Youth Chess Championship in 2018 and claimed five gold medals at the 2018 Asian Youth Chess Championships. Gukesh attained the International Master (IM) title in March 2018 and became the second youngest Grandmaster (GM) in January 2019, aged 12 years, seven months, and 17 days.
His prowess continued to shine at the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022, where he secured an individual gold medal and led India to a bronze finish. In the same year, he exceeded 2700 rating points, ranking him as the third youngest player to do so after Wei Yi and Alireza Firouzja.