Gukesh Dommaraju, who was born in Chennai, India, on May 29, 2006, is now the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion in history. He broke the record set by Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he won the title in 1985. He was only 18 years and 195 days old at the time. Gukesh’s meteoric rise from a chess prodigy to a global icon is proof of his unmatched skill, unending dedication, and the strong chess community in India. This article looks at his amazing journey, his accomplishments, his style of play, and the effect of his historic win.
Early Life and Getting into Chess
Gukesh was born into a middle-class Telugu family in Chennai, which is often called India’s “chess capital.” His mother, Dr. Padmakumari, is a microbiologist, and his father, Dr. Rajinikanth, is an ENT surgeon. Neither of his parents played chess, but they saw early on that their son had a lot of talent. Gukesh started playing chess when he was seven years old and went to a chess summer camp at Velammal Vidyalaya School in Chennai. Bhaskar V, his first coach, quickly saw his talent during extracurricular activities. Gukesh was obsessed with the game even when he was a kid. He spent hours solving puzzles and learning new strategies.
Gukesh made a lot of sacrifices to play chess seriously. He stopped going to school in the fourth grade to focus on the game. He only took tests and spent all of his time training. In 2017, Gukesh’s father quit his job so they could travel to international tournaments together. This put a strain on the family’s finances, but it showed how much they cared about his dream. Gukesh was able to compete on the world stage thanks to help from family, friends, and later sponsors like the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy.
A Prodigy’s Rise: Early Successes
Gukesh’s rise in the chess world was nothing short of amazing. He started playing in age-group tournaments when he was seven years old and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. He won the Under-9 section of the Asian School Chess Championships in 2015. By 2018, he was the best player in the Under-12 category of the World Youth Chess Championship. He also won five gold medals at the Asian Youth Chess Championship in individual rapid, blitz, classical, and team events, which had never happened before.
He quickly moved up the ranks and became an International Master (IM) in March 2018, when he was 11 years, 9 months, and 9 days old. On January 15, 2019, Gukesh became a Grandmaster (GM) at the age of 12 years, 7 months, and 17 days, missing the record for the youngest GM by only 17 days (set by Sergey Karjakin). He was the second-youngest GM in history at the time, but Abhimanyu Mishra later broke that record. Gukesh played 276 games in 30 tournaments in 13 countries over the course of 16 months to win the GM title. This shows how determined he was.
Setting records and going against what people thought would happen
There are a lot of important events in Gukesh’s career that have made it what it is today. He was a key player in India’s chess success in 2022, winning individual gold and team bronze at the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai. He scored an amazing 9 out of 11 points on the top board. That year, he also became the third-youngest player to reach a FIDE rating of 2700, getting a rating of 2726 in September. He beat Magnus Carlsen in the Aimchess Rapid tournament in October 2022, making him the youngest player to ever beat the world champion. This shocked the chess world.
In August 2023, Gukesh broke another record by becoming the youngest player to have a FIDE rating of more than 2750 at the age of 17. This beat Carlsen’s previous record. The next month, he became India’s top-rated player, ending Viswanathan Anand’s 37-year reign. This was a symbolic passing of the torch. He solidified his reputation as a tough opponent by reaching the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIDE World Cup, where he lost to Carlsen.
In 2024, when Gukesh was just 17 years, 10 months, and 24 days old, he won the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Toronto. This made him the youngest person ever to challenge for the world championship title. Gukesh’s win over a tough group that included Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura, and Fabiano Caruana showed how tough and smart he is.
The World Championship Win
In December 2024, Gukesh played Ding Liren, the defending champion, in the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore. The match was best of 14 and had a prize pool of $2.5 million. Both players played almost perfectly, and the match was full of ups and downs. Ding won the first game, and Gukesh won the third game, but they stayed tied through several draws. Gukesh took the lead in the 11th game when Ding made a mistake because he was running out of time, but Ding tied the score in the 12th. The 13th game ended in a tie, which set up a dramatic finish.
Ding seemed to be trying to force a draw in the important 14th game, which would have sent the match to tiebreaks. Ding made a big mistake on his 55th move when he gave up his rook, which gave Gukesh an unexpected chance. Gukesh took advantage of the mistake and won 7.5-6.5 in 58 moves. It was an emotional moment of victory for Gukesh. He cried because he had finally achieved a dream he had had since he was seven years old and watched the 2013 World Championship match between Anand and Carlsen. Ding, who was gracious in defeat, admitted his mistake, while Gukesh called him “one of the best players in history.”
How you play and how strong your mind is
Gukesh plays aggressively, with great accuracy, and likes to get into complicated tactical fights. Gukesh, on the other hand, does best in sharp, changing positions. He often takes calculated risks to take advantage of his opponents’ weaknesses. He is a tough opponent because he knows a lot about chess theory thanks to coaches like Vishnu Prasanna and can figure out many moves ahead. People often say that his games are fun to watch, and they compare him to former world champion Anatoly Karpov for his tactical brilliance.
Gukesh is different from other players because he is mentally strong as well as skilled. He had trouble with being impulsive and controlling his emotions early in his career, but he changed himself through yoga and meditation. These Indian traditions helped him learn how to stay calm under pressure, which was clear in his performance at the World Championship. Gukesh also worked with mind coach Paddy Upton, who helped him stay focused during important games.
Effect and Legacy
Gukesh’s win has been felt all over India and the world of chess. He is only the second Indian to win the world championship, after Viswanathan Anand. This makes India a chess superpower. People all over the world celebrated his success. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it “historic and exemplary,” and President Draupadi Murmu said it “stamps the authority of India as a chess powerhouse.” Sachin Tendulkar, a cricket great, and Abhinav Bindra, an Olympic gold medalist, also praised Gukesh’s intelligence and drive.
When Gukesh got back to Chennai, he was greeted like a hero by hundreds of fans at the airport. His win has inspired a new generation of Indian chess players. There are more than 85 grandmasters and 30,000 rated players in this thriving community. The Westbridge Anand Chess Academy, where Gukesh trains with Anand’s help, keeps finding and developing young talent, which keeps India at the top of the sport.
The Person Behind the Champion: Beyond Chess
Gukesh is still humble and down-to-earth even though he is famous all over the world. He says that his parents, coaches, and mentors like Anand and Pentala Harikrishna helped him get where he is today. His father’s sacrifices and his mother’s support have been important parts of his journey. Gukesh likes to play cricket, tennis, swim, and solve math problems in addition to chess. These things keep his mind sharp. His mother has said that she is proud of both his chess skills and his character. She has stressed that being a good person is just as important as being a good player.
Looking Ahead
Gukesh’s journey is far from over at the age of 18. As of December 2024, his FIDE rating is 2783, which puts him fifth in the world and second in India. He wants to be the best player in the world and beat Magnus Carlsen, which pushes him to work hard. The Freestyle Chess Grandslam in February 2025 and the Grand Chess Tour are two big events coming up where he will keep testing his skills against the best.
Gukesh Dommaraju‘s story is about a lot of natural talent, hard work, and a dream that never dies. He has changed what is possible in chess, from a seven-year-old solving puzzles in Chennai to the youngest world chess champion. Garry Kasparov said, “Gukesh was well-prepared, and the player who played the best won the match.” His win isn’t just a personal victory; it’s also a sign for players all over the world that even the biggest dreams can come true with hard work and bravery.
