India’s 17-year-old Grandmaster D Gukesh made history by winning the Candidates Chess Tournament, becoming the youngest challenger ever for the world title.
He will compete against China’s Ding Liren, the reigning world champion, for the championship later this year.
As reported by PTI, Gukesh scored nine out of a possible 14 points after drawing his final round game against American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.
This win made him the second Indian to secure a victory at the Candidates Chess Tournament, the first being Viswanathan Anand, who achieved this feat in 2014 during his journey to becoming a five-time world champion.
“Congratulations to @DGukesh for becoming the youngest challenger. The @WacaChess family is so proud of what you have done . I’m personally very proud of how you played and handled tough situations. Enjoy the moment,” Anand posted on ‘X’ to congratulate the youngster, who like him, also hails from Chennai.
Gukesh needed the final game between Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi and top-seeded American Fabiano Caruana to end in a draw, which is precisely what happened. If either of these players had won, the tournament would have required a tie-breaker, as Gukesh and the victor would have tied for the top spot.
Gukesh has been gaining attention for some time, having become the third-youngest Grandmaster in chess history at the age of 12. Last year, he won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The dates and venue for the upcoming World Chess Championship are still to be finalised.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Published: 22 Apr 2024, 07:24 AM IST