India chess grandmaster, 17-year-old D Gukesh creates historical past after turning into the youngest-ever challenger to the world title after successful FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024 crown, in Toronto.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The stroll might have felt the longest in his life for Dommaraju Gukesh.
After his sport with Hikaru Nakamura resulted in a draw at the Great Hall in Toronto in the last spherical of the Candidates chess match, and listening to the commentary on the ongoing sport between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana for some time, he determined to take a stroll together with Grzegorz Gajewski, his second (sparring accomplice).
He hadn’t felt a lot stress even throughout the three-week lengthy match, through which he had to face the most of the world’s finest chess gamers twice.
He had performed his finest. But was it sufficient?
Gukesh was in no place to reply it, although. That reply had to come from the sport between Nepomniachtchi, the man who had gained the final two editions of the match, and Fabiano Caruana, the high seed. The perfect reply can be a draw.
It didn’t appear like a draw although.
Caruana appeared poised for a win, and that meant Gukesh would have to play a tie-breaker the following day. If Nepominiachtchi and Caruana drew, they might stay on 8.5 factors, together with Nakamura, the second seed. That would go away Gukesh, who had 9 factors, the undisputed champion: no tie-breakers can be required.
Gukesh acquired what he — and a rustic of 1 billion that’s more and more turning into fascinated with the thoughts sport — needed.
Beating At 17, he turned the youngest-ever challenger for the World chess championship beating the document set by the Russian legend Garry Kasparov, in 1984, at the age of 20.
The information was damaged to him by his father Dr. Rajinikanth, an ENT surgeon who has to schedule his surgical procedures in accordance to Gukesh’s tournaments. He ran in the direction of his son and stopped his stroll. The physician managed to do what none of Gukesh’s seven rivals may in Toronto.
Five of them had been rated above him. He wasn’t even the highest-rated Indian. That was R. Praggnanandhaa, 9 months older, and a fellow-Chennaiite.
Gukesh wasn’t amongst the favourites. Caruana, Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi had been.
Among the many he stunned was Magnus Carlsen. The five-time World champion from Norway is not a part of the World championship cycle — he has cited a scarcity of motivation — had predicted how all the eight gamers would carry out at the Candidates.
He had picked Caruana and Nakamura as the likeliest winners, adopted by Nepomniachtchi. His prediction for Gukesh: I can not think about him successful the Candidates. He shouldn’t be fairly prepared but to make the leap.
Carlsen wasn’t the just one who thought so. He hadn’t even certified for the Candidates until the final minute. It took him a Super Grandmaster match in Chennai in December that was particularly carried out for the objective.
No surprises
For these who had been following his profession carefully, Gukesh’s win might not have come as an entire shock. Two years in the past, at the Chennai Chess Olympiad, he had provide you with an unbelievable present, successful his first eight video games in a row for India-2 on the high board.
It is considered one in all the best performances in a chess match ever. If somebody may play like that at 15, there was each chance that he may ship in a harder occasion when he turned older and stronger.
How a lot stronger he may change into is certainly an fascinating thought. Given his distinctive expertise, the maturity and the potential to make the proper judgment — his penultimate spherical sport towards Alireza Firouzja at Toronto is an instance, as he averted a draw and went for a win — he needs to be amongst the world’s high gamers for an extended, very long time.
He may quickly start making ready for his World title match towards Ding Liren. Not many might want to guess towards him strolling additional into document books — as the world’s youngest-ever chess champion.
