Gukesh D becomes youngest challenger for world chess title

Teenage Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, became the youngest player to claim the men’s Candidates Tournament in Toronto, Canada.

About

• Gukesh is ranked 16th in the world by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
• Gukesh is set to become the youngest player ever to challenge for a world chess title.
• The previous youngest winner of a Candidates tournament was Russian prodigy Kasparov, then 20, in 1984.
• Joining Gukesh in the men’s Candidates tournament was Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (R Praggnanandhaa), 18,who famously stunned the chess world by beating Carlsen in 2022.
  • “Pragg”, as he is known to fans, became the youngest international chess master at the age of 10 and the second-youngest grandmaster in the world at 12.
  • Last year, he and his sister, 22-year-old Rameshbabu Vaishali (R Vaishali), became the first-ever brother and sister duo to obtain grandmaster titles.
• Gukesh is the second Indian to play in a world championship after legendary Indian player Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand