Candidates Chess Tournament: India’s 17-year-old Gukesh D scripts history

Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest man to clinch the revered Candidates Chess tournament. The 17-year-old champion thereby earned his rightful candidature to challenge for the World Championships crown opposite reigning world champion, Ding Liren, which will be held later this year. 

Gukesh D emerged as the sole frontrunner following a captivating 14-round Candidates tournament against Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura of the USA which was held on Sunday in Toronto, Canada.

Gukesh required only that decisive victory on the tournament's final day to triumph in the coveted Candidates title, with the intense match between Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi ending in a gripping draw. Moments after the final showdown, excited cheers and claps resonated throughout the Great Hall in Toronto, as the audience rose in applause and honored the remarkable feat of the latest contender for the world title.

This upcoming championship will give Gukesh D the opportunity to become the youngest world champion in his challenge against Ding Liren later this year. It may also be mentioned that the Indian teenager became the 2nd Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win Candidates Chess and the first since his mentor to emerge victorious after a decade.