India's D Gukesh during the Candidates Chess tournament. Photo: X/FIDE
Gukesh creates history by winning Candidates Chess tournament
At 17, he is the youngest to win the title. Gukesh accumulated nine out of a possible 14 points after drawing his final round game against American Hikaru Nakamura
India's 17-year-old Grandmaster D Gukesh won the Candidates Chess Tournament in Toronto, Canada on Sunday (April 21). He is the youngest-ever to win the tournament.
He created history by becoming the youngest challenger for the world championship title.
Gukesh to take on Liren
He will take on reigning world champion, China's Ding Liren, for the crown later this year.
Gukesh accumulated nine out of a possible 14 points after drawing his final round game against American Hikaru Nakamura.
He became only the second Indian after the great Viswanathan Anand to win the Candidates. Five-time world champion Anand's triumph came in 2014.
Anand congratulates Gukesh
"Congratulations to @DGukesh for becoming the youngest challenger. The @WacaChess family is so proud of what you have done . I'm personally very proud of how you played and handled tough situations. Enjoy the moment," Anand posted on 'X' to congratulate the youngster, who like him, also hails from Chennai.
The Indian needed the last game between Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia and top-seeded American Fabiano Caruana to end in a draw and this is exactly how things panned out.
Had any of these two players won, the tournament would have needed a tie-break as Gukesh and the winner would have ended up in joint lead.
Silver at Asian Games
Gukesh has been making waves for a while now and after becoming the third youngest in chess history to earn the Grandmaster title at the age of 12.
Last year, he won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The dates and venue for the world championship are yet to be finalised.
Results final round (Indians unless specified)
Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 8.5) drew with D Gukesh (9); Fabiano Caruana (USA, 8.5) drew with Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE, 8.5); Nijat Abasov (Aze, 3.5) lost to R Praggnanandhaa (7); Firouza Alireza (Fra, 5) drew with Vidit Gujrathi (6). Final standings: 1. D Gukesh 2-4: Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi, Caruana 5. Pragnanandhaa 6. Gujrathi 7. Alireza 8. Abasov.
