Who is D Gukesh? Youngest Contender in the 2024 World Chess Championship

Gukesh Dommaraju, an 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster (GM), won the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament, becoming the youngest player to ever compete for the FIDE World Chess Championship.

Gukesh defeated well-known players like Alireza Firouzja and Hikaru Nakamura in the competition with an outstanding score of 9/14. If Gukesh wins against the current champion, GM Ding Liren, he will make history as the youngest Classical World Champion.

Who is D. Gukesh?

Gukesh, a chess prodigy born in Chennai, India, started playing chess at the age of seven, which is considered late for many top players. The city is already known for being home to Indian chess legends like Vishwanathan Anand.

Gukesh has been trained by skilled coaches at Velammal School which helped him to quickly improve his FIDE rating within just six months.

Gukesh’s father's unwavering support of his chess career made him a grandmaster at a very young age. Gukesh became the second-youngest Grandmaster (GM) in history at just 12 years, 7 months, and 17 days old. He narrowly missed the record held by Sergey Karjakin by only 17 days.

Gukesh’s Chess Career

In 2022, Gukesh achieved a major milestone by surpassing Viswanathan Anand to become India’s highest-rated player. This put an end to Anand’s 37-year reign as the country’s top chess player.

Gukesh had an outstanding performance at the 2022 FIDE Chess Olympiad. He won an individual gold medal and played a crucial role in helping India secure a bronze medal. The outstanding rating of 2867 on the top board made Gukesh a standout player during the whole tournament.

In 2023, Gukesh won the FIDE Circuit, which earned him a spot in the Candidates Tournament. He triumphed in the 2024 Candidates Tournament, thus securing his place as one of the top players in the world. 

Gukesh in World Chess Championship

As Gukesh prepares for the World Championship, there is great anticipation around his performance. His exceptional skills and determination have made him a strong contender. If he wins, he will become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion. This would also further increase India’s influence in the global chess scene.

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ALSO READ: Who is Ding Liren? China’s World Champion Facing India's D. Gukesh in the Fight for the Title