Indian teenager becomes youngest challenger for world chess title, will face reigning champion from China

CNN —

Teenage Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, became the youngest player to claim the men’s Candidates Tournament in Toronto, Canada Sunday.

The 17-year-old grandmaster’s win sets up an opportunity to dethrone reigning world champion Ding Liren of China at the 2024 World Chess Championship later this year.

Should Gukesh beat Ding, who has struggled with poor form recently, he will break Garry Kasparov’s long-held record of being the youngest world champion aged 22.

Gukesh, ranked 16th in the world by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), sealed his title after a comfortable draw with world number 3 Hikaru Nakamura, a five-time US chess champion who is more than twice his age.

Gukesh is set to become the youngest player ever to challenge for a world chess title.

“I was completely emotional but after the game I’m feeling quite good,” Gukesh said in a press conference after finishing atop the round robin tournament.

“I don’t really care about [being] the youngest and all these records, but it’s a nice thing to say.”

Gukesh was swarmed by Indian fans outside his hotel as the South Asian nation celebrates yet another young chess talent.

“I’m very excited to play in the world championship and really looking forward to all the preparations,” he said, adding that his journey is “only halfway through.”

The previous youngest winner of a Candidates tournament was Russian prodigy Kasparov, then 20, in 1984.

Kasparov, who went on to win multiple world championships, praised Gukesh and the conveyor belt of chess talent coming from both Asia and Asian diaspora communities in countries like the United Stated and Britain.

“The Indian earthquake in Toronto is the culmination of the shifting