D Gukesh, the 18-year-old chess prodigy from Chennai, has cemented his place in history by becoming the youngest chess world champion, defeating China’s Grandmaster Ding Liren in the FIDE World Championship. Gukesh’s triumph was sealed with a 7.5-6.5 victory following a grueling 58-move Game 14 on Thursday, a feat that also saw him break Garry Kasparov’s 39-year-old record for the youngest world champion in chess.
The young champion’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. After dethroning his mentor, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, as India’s top-ranked player in August last year—a record Anand held for 37 years—D Gukesh went on to dominate the Candidates Tournament in April 2024. By winning the Candidates, he not only earned his spot in the World Championship but also became the youngest winner in the tournament’s history. He further played a pivotal role in India’s gold medal triumph in both the ‘Open’ and ‘Women’ categories at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest earlier this year.
D Gukesh is now set to celebrate his landmark achievement with family and friends in India, where he will also attend several felicitations in the coming days. Despite his incredible accomplishment, the young champion remains grounded and focused on the future. In an interview with the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), Gukesh revealed that he is unlikely to participate in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York later this month as he focuses on recuperating and planning his next moves.
Reflecting on his victory, D Gukesh acknowledged the immense effort it took to achieve the title but emphasized that his ambitions extend far beyond becoming world champion. “As a kid, I wanted to become world champion because I thought it meant being the best player in the world. It’s still a very special achievement for me, but my main goal has always been to achieve my full potential. If that’s enough to become the greatest of all time, then so be it,” he said.
D Gukesh credited world chess elites such as Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Ian Nepomniachtchi as sources of inspiration to keep improving. “Magnus and all the top guys—they’re just motivation for me to keep working hard. This is the beauty of competition,” he remarked.
With his exceptional talent and a vision to reach even greater heights, D Gukesh’s journey as a chess icon is only beginning, as he continues to strive toward being the greatest player of all time.
