Premium17-year-old Gukesh D becomes youngest-ever FIDE Candidates winner - PM Narendra Modi, Sachin Tendulkar and fans congratulate Indian Grandmaster
Gukesh also silenced world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, who had doubted his potential, by winning the tournament.
Last Updated: 06.29 PM, Apr 22, 2024
Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh made history by clinching the prestigious FIDE Candidates tournament on Monday, April 22, becoming the youngest-ever chess winner. His triumph against Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura of the USA in Toronto secured his shot at the World Championship later this year.
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The victory sparked a wave of praise on social media, with PM Narendra Modi, Sachin Tendulkar, and others lauding his achievement on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Gukesh's path to victory included holding world No. 3 Hikaru Nakamura to a draw and awaiting the outcome of a crucial match between world No. 2 Fabiano Caruana and two-time Candidates winner Ian Nepomniachtchi. His win was solidified when their match also ended in a draw, granting him the opportunity to challenge current world champion Ding Liren.
The magnitude of Gukesh's stardom became evident as soon after the game, he was greeted by fans chanting his name upon exiting The Great Hall, the venue for this year's Candidates Tournament.
Gukesh, at the age of 17, shattered Garry Kasparov's longstanding record as the youngest winner of the Candidates, a distinction the Russian chess maestro achieved at 22 in 1984. This victory also established Gukesh among India's chess elite, as only the second Indian to claim this prestigious event after the legendary Viswanathan Anand, who emerged victorious in 2014.
Interestingly, Gukesh had already dethroned Anand as the top-ranked Indian chess player, ending Anand's remarkable 37-year reign just last year.
Gukesh also silenced world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, who had doubted his potential, by winning the tournament. The Norwegian GM had previously expressed skepticism, stating that he didn't envision Gukesh winning and felt he wasn't "quite ready yet to make the leap" as a champion.
"Gukesh is probably a bit stronger than myself and others realised. The thing about Gukesh is that he can look really vulnerable at times. Then he’s also not very good at speed chess. That can confuse (people’s assessment about him). And he’s not as high-profile as some of the other youngsters, which is confusing. But he’s proven in this tournament that he’s very strong," Carlsen said during a Chess24 stream after Gukesh’s victory.