It all started with Viswanathan Anand. He set the bar high, inspiring a legion of young hopefuls aspiring to become World Champions. Success, they say, begets success. Anand’s groundbreaking ascent to the pinnacle of world chess has created an ecosystem that consistently produces Grandmasters, each striving for greatness with captivating performances that hold the nation—and the world—in awe.
Vishy Anand, an Indian Chess Grandmaster, five-time World Chess Champion, and two-time Chess World Cup Champion, became India’s first Grandmaster in 1988. With the eighth-highest peak FIDE rating of all time in 2022, Anand was elected Deputy President of FIDE, cementing his legacy.
Recently, India cemented its dominance in the global chess arena by clinching both men’s and women’s team gold medals at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest. This historic achievement has firmly established India as a chess superpower. Alongside the team triumphs, India also claimed four individual golds in the Olympiad, marking a new high point in the nation’s evolving chess story.
India’s men’s team, comprising Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Harikrishna Pentala, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and led by Captain Srinath Narayanan, secured gold with 21 points after defeating Slovenia 3.5-0.5 in the final round. Gukesh and Erigaisi earned individual gold medals for their stellar performances.
The women’s team, including Vantika Agrawal, Divya Deshmukh, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Tania Sachdev, and led by Captain Abhijit Kunte, displayed remarkable prowess, defeating Azerbaijan in the final round to claim gold with 19 points. Deshmukh, who remained undefeated, won individual gold on board three.
Among these outstanding players, Gukesh Dommaraju has shone brightly. He has become one of the brightest stars on the Indian chess horizon, and chess enthusiasts are captivated by his rapid rise. India’s chess future seems poised on his young shoulders.
Gukesh is making history, becoming the youngest player ever to qualify as a World Championship contender at just 17. He earned his Grandmaster title at the age of 12 in 2019 and has already made a significant impact, contributing to India’s team gold in 2024 and securing his second individual gold. Currently at his peak with a FIDE rating of 2794, Gukesh has set the stage for a compelling bid for the World Championship title following his impressive performance at the 2024 Candidates.
Born on 29 May 2006 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Gukesh was introduced to chess at seven. His father, Rajinikanth, is an ENT surgeon, and his mother, Padmakumari, is a microbiologist. Gukesh attended Velammal Vidyalaya school in Chennai, where his chess skills blossomed through practice sessions and weekend tournaments.
In January 2024, Gukesh participated in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, finishing in a four-way tie for first place. Though he had a winning position against R Praggnanandhaa in the twelfth round, a blunder led to a draw. In the tiebreaks, he defeated Anish Giri in the semifinals but lost to Wei Yi in the finals.
In April 2024, Gukesh competed in the Candidates Tournament, winning games against top players, including R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, and Alireza Firouzja. His only loss was to Firouzja, resulting in a score of 9/14, which won him the tournament and qualified him for the 2024 World Championship match against Ding Liren.
As the youngest-ever winner of the Candidates, Gukesh solidified his position in September 2024 at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, leading the Indian team on board one. His dominant performance included wins against top grandmasters like Wei Yi, Parham Maghsoodloo, and Fabiano Caruana, finishing with 9 points out of 10 rounds. Gukesh’s performance rating of 3056 was the highest in the tournament, earning him an individual gold medal and contributing to India’s first-ever team gold at the Olympiads. He entered the FIDE world top-five for the first time on 1 October 2024.
Ahead of the World Championship final against Ding Liren, Gukesh has brought in Paddy Upton as his mental conditioning coach. Upton, who has previously worked with the Indian cricket team, is expected to enhance Gukesh’s performance during critical moments.
Gukesh stands as the favourite against Ding Liren, with the final set to take place in Singapore from 25 November to 13 December. If Gukesh triumphs over Ding, the 32-year-old Chinese champion, he will etch his name into history as the youngest World Chess Champion ever.
Fingers crossed for this young prodigy!
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✨ Indian prodigy @GukeshDommaraju advances to the 2024 World Chess Championship, set to challenge reigning champion Ding Liren. 🌟 Can he make history as the youngest-ever World Champion? 🎉 Show your support! 🙌 #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/vj81oOY0ZK
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