D Gukesh has made history by becoming the youngest person ever to win the Fide Candidates tournament. The 17-year-old will compete for the World Championships later this year, and will face Ding Liren.
The Indian overcame the odds in a 14-round tournament in Toronto, Canada and has become a sensation for his incredible performances. His match against USA Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura ended in a draw, and it was enough with Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi’s match ending in an exciting draw too.
D Gukesh wins Candidates tournament to make history
What a triumph, @DGukesh! The youngest ever to win the FIDE Candidates—at only 17! Your journey from here leads to the World Championship, and we'll be with you at every move.
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 22, 2024
Go make history! 🇮🇳 ♟️#FIDECandidates pic.twitter.com/0Gw2QddBIO
To put things into perspective, both Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov were 22 when they were World Champions. D Gukesh is half a decade younger than both of them, and could set another incredible record if he can win against Liren.
In addition, Gukesh is also the second Indian after the legendary Vishwanathan Anand to make it to the World Championships. And it will be interesting to see how the third-youngest Grandmaster lines up against Liren later this year.