D. Gukesh, 18-year-old scripted history by becoming youngest World Chess Champion. He trounced Ding Liren of China in Singapore on 12th December 2024.
Gukesh Dommaraju born May 29, 2006, in Chennai, India. He belongs to Paraiyar community. His father name is D. Rajnikanth and mother name is Padma Rajinikanth.
His Journey with Chess Board
Candidate Master Status
Gukesh achieved candidate master status in 2015. He achieved it after winning the under-nine category at the Asian School Chess Championships.
International Master Status
In March 2018, Gukesh scored 7 out of 9 points at the Cappelle la Grande Open. It lead him to the club of International Master. In the Asian Youth Chess Championships held in April 2018, Gukesh won five golds in the under-12 individual rapid, under-12 individual blitz, under-12 classical, under-12 blitz team, and under-12 rapid team events.
Grandmaster Status
In April 2018 Gukesh achieved his first GM norm in Bangkok Open. He fulfilled second norm in December in Serbia. Gukesh had a chance to add the title of full fledged GM in Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival (Dec 2018) but the game ended in a draw. Otherwise D Gukesh would be the youngest grandmaster in history.
At Delhi International Grandmaster Open (15 January 2019) Gukesh won his third GM norm. He achieved the status of Grandmaster at the age of 12 years 7 months and 17 days.
Gukesh played 276 games in 16 months to step up from IM to GM status. He played these games in 30 tournaments held in 13 countries.
Achievements as a Grandmaster
Gukesh won a tournament organized by the Hillerod Chess Club in Denmark in February 2020.
Cannes Chess Festival: Gukesh gains 7.5 out of a total possible 9 points.
FIDE Chess Olympiad (2022) Chennai (India): He helped his team, India 2, finish third. He won the gold medal on board one. In it top-ranked players participate in a round-robin format. Gukesh clinch victory with 8 wins in his 11 games.
Aimchess Rapid online tournament (Oct 2022): Gukesh defeated Magnus Carlsen in this event. He became the youngest player to defeat Carlsen in an official game since Carlsen became world champion.
In August 2023 D. Gukesh added another feather on his cap by becoming the youngest player to excel the 2750 rating. He break the record held by Magnus Carlsen.
According to the FIDE ratings Gukesh became the highest ranked Indian player. He replace former world champion and India’s first Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand from number one position. Anand hold this position for 37 years.
Year 2024 ushered lot is success on D. Gukesh. He won the Tata Steel Masters, gold at the Chess Olympiad, won the Candidates Tournament. He created history by becoming a youngest player to win the Candidates Tournament. Gukesh was just 17 years 10 months 24 days old the day when he clinched this title. Gukesh broke the record of former Grandmaster Garry Kasparov how created history by clinching this title at the age of 21 about 40-year ago.
In Chess Olympiad in Budapest (2024) Gukesh helped the men’s team to win first gold medal.
Gukesh clinched the World Chess Championship (Dec 2024) title in Singapore
