Who Is D Gukesh? Youngest-Ever Contender At World Chess Championship Final After Winning FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024

Gukesh's trainer Vishnu avoided playing against chess engines from early days, taking a unique route in training methods. He says it was a risky decision but something which has paid off dividends.

D Gukesh. (Source: ANI)

History was made on Monday as D Gukesh became the champion of the of the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024 after winning the final round in Toronto. Gukesh is just 17 and is only the second Indian player after legend Viswanathan Anand to win the Candidates Tournament. He is now the youngest player to go to the final of the World Championship where he will be up against Ding Liren of China. Gukesh used black pieces to hold rival Hikaru Nakamura to a draw and grabbed the win.

Gukesh won first place with a total of 9/14 points. He held Nakamura to a draw on a dramatic day, but his fate was sealed on the opposite board when Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi fought for 109 moves before settling on a tie.

The day was filled with a lot of drama. For a short while, it seemed that Gukesh would emerge victorious on Monday when Fabiano Caruana's error in move 41 created the chance for a draw with Ian Nepomniachtchi. However, Nepo then gave Caruana the upper hand by returning the favour. Eventually, the tide turned and the Nepo vs. Caruana match was headed to a tie.

After Gukesh drew his match against Hikaru Nakamura, the FIDE Candidates' tournament took a dramatic turn. However, Fabiano Caruana's critical error in his match against lan Nepomniachtchi provided a glimmer of hope for Gukesh's historic quest. This mistake changed the game's trajectory significantly and created an opportunity for a draw. 

Who is D Gukesh?

Gukesh comes from Chennai and in a very short career, he has made many firsts. He was also India's youngest grandmaster at the age of 12 years and seven months and 17 days. He went past Anand as India's top ranked player for the first time in 26 years. Gukesh was kept away from playing against chess engines to hone his skills and the effort was more on playing with a trainer.

“I’m guessing that Gukesh is in a minority with that approach. It is a very healthy approach. What was key is that he didn’t use engines himself but nonetheless benefitted through his trainer. That’s how it should be. A player should focus on the playing skills and the trainer can give them the best information (after using engines),” Viswanathan Anand told The Indian Express. Chess was an obsession for Gukesh from childhood days and nothing could come between him and the boardgame.

With ANI inputs