All posts tagged: who is gukesh

Gukesh: ‘Right now just want to be the best, don’t care about youngest ever and other records’ | Chess News

After India’s D Gukesh become the youngest-ever Candidates winner — which also made him the youngest ever player to qualify for the prestigious World Chess Championship, the 17-year-old said that the tag of being the youngest to do things once mattered to him. But at the moment, his goal is just one: to be the best in the world. In his fledgling career, Gukesh has had many pathbreaking moments already, besides becoming a World Championship Challenger as a teenager (he will be 18 when he plays in November). Gukesh became India’s youngest grandmaster ever at the age of 12 years, seven months, 17 days, missing the tag of the world’s youngest by a mere 17 days. Last year, he overtook five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand as the country’s top ranked player for the first time after 36 years. LISTEN: This week’s Game Time podcast is on Gukesh’s rise While Gukesh was charting his course to the win in Toronto, a video from his younger days popped up. He was 11 at that stage and can …

After Gukesh wins Candidates, India keen to host World Chess Championship showdown with Ding Liren | Chess News

Newly-elected All India Chess Federation (AICF) secretary Dev Patel on Thursday said the country will bid for the hosting rights of this year’s much-anticipated World Championship clash between teen sensation D Gukesh and defending champion Ding Liren of China. The 17-year-old Gukesh became the youngest ever challenger for the world title by winning the Candidates Tournament in Toronto on Monday. The dates and venue for the world championship, which will be held in the last quarter of the year, are yet to be finalised. “We are open to discussion with FIDE, the apex chess body, and we are certain that the best world championship will be held in India,” Patel, who is only 24 and heads the Gujarat Chess Association, told PTI. Gukesh at a FIDE ceremony after his win at the Candidates chess tournament. (PHOTO: Michal Walusza/FIDE) “For me now, the most important aim is not to look at this as a World Championship proposal to FIDE, but to actually manifest this into making chess a popular sport in the country,” he added. Patel …

How Gukesh was welcomed at 3 am after Candidates: 80 school kids, posse of cameramen, officials and an emotional mother | Chess News

Almost each passenger exiting the international terminus at the Chennai International Airport had a quizzical expression as scores of cameramen waited. Those sleepy, tired eyes opened wide at the sight of 80 school students, who formed a guard of honour to welcome one of their own, D Gukesh, who returned to Chennai after winning the Candidates chess tournament in Canada. As the clock struck 3 am on Thursday, Gukesh — with his father Dr Rajinikanth by his side — came out in his blue blazer with a yellow turban sitting perfectly on top of his head. Within moments, he would be swallowed by all the chaos and commotion. For a 17-year-old who took rapid strides on the chess board, it took him more than five minutes to cover a five metre distance, where All India Chess Federation (AICF) officials and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) officials welcomed him home. And moments after Gukesh positioned himself to address the media, he would step away from the cameras in a flash at the first sight …

Gukesh wins Candidates: 17-year-old and trainer Grzegorz Gajewski reveal what makes him a mentality monster | Chess News

What goes on inside the mind of a 17-year-old athlete playing in the biggest event of his career yet, where only finishing first matters? Two days after D Gukesh claimed the Candidates title, thus becoming the youngest player to secure a spot at the World Chess Championship, he and his trainer, Grzegorz Gajewski, offered an insight into the mentality that makes the 17-year-old different. “Even though the game hasn’t started yet, in his mind, he’s already playing it. The preparations are part of the game. He’s fully focussed: analysing different scenarios, not just in terms of openings but also different situations that might occur during the game,” says Polish grandmaster Gajewski, who has also helped other Indian youngsters through the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy and was Viswanathan Anand’s second during his World Championship battles. “Apart from chess preparations, for Gukesh it’s all about staying in the zone. He has a few routines that help him to get into the zone, to focus before a game. In the previous months, we had to introduce a few …

D Gukesh interview: ‘Casual chat with Magnus Carlsen proved useful… came to Toronto to win Candidates’ | Chess News

When D Gukesh left India to travel to Canada for the Candidates chess tournament, not too many experts had ranked him high on their tier-lists. Magnus Carslen famously said: “I cannot imagine Gukesh winning the Candidates. I think he will certainly win at least a couple of games, but will have some fairly bad losses as well. I don’t think he will do poorly, but I don’t think he will do too well either. He’s not quite ready yet to make the leap. It’s more likely that he has a bad event.” Carlsen’s predictions were certainly understandable, even if harsh. After all, there was a talented line-up of contenders this year who were all hungry for the top spot, the only position at this particular high-stakes event which matters. This included two-time World Championship contender Ian Nepomniachtchi, the World No 2 Fabiano Caruana, who was playing in his fifth Candidates event, having won it once, and World No 3 Hikaru Nakamura, competing in his third Candidates event. But for Gukesh, factors like experience, reputations and …

Gukesh’s Candidates victory a testament to India’s growing stature in world chess | Chess News

“What is the most unstable thing in the world at the moment? Number 1 chess player of India.” Tweet from Azerbaijani grandmaster Teimour Radjabov in January this year pointing out how volatile the position of India’s top-ranked players can be. In the four months of 2024, the position of India’s top ranked chess player in the live ratings has switched constantly between five players — Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujrathi. It’s a far cry from the previous 36 years when Viswanathan Anand was ensconced as India’s top-ranked chess player, mostly unchallenged. Radjabov’s tweet, in fact, had come right after Vidit had been dethroned as India No.1 in the live ratings after a 24-hour stint there. It was in little signs like these that India’s growth on the 64 squares was starting to reflect. Then came the recently-concluded Candidates tournament, an elite eight-player field — both in the open category and for women — that has proven ridiculously tough to crack for Indians. That was, of course, before a group of five …

‘Gukesh is probably bit stronger than we realised’: Magnus Carlsen explains why he’d said he cannot imagine teen winning Candidates | Chess News

Before the Candidates chess tournament began in Toronto, former world champion Magnus Carlsen was asked to assess the eight-player field in the open section of the prestigious tournament that is being held to select the challenger to the world champion Ding Liren. He had been miserly in his odds for the Indian trio of Vidit Gujrathi, Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh at the gruelling tournament. All three of them were competing in the Candidates for the first time. But Carlsen was particularly blunt about the chances of 17-year-old Gukesh winning the title. Gukesh, the 17-year-old from Chennai, made history by winning the Candidates chess tournament which makes him the youngest ever contender at the World Chess Championship. (PHOTO: FIDE/Michal Walusza) Talking about Gukesh, who was the second youngest player ever to compete at the Candidates, Carlsen had said: “I cannot imagine him winning the Candidates. I can see him being anywhere from +2 to -5 (at the end of the tournament). I think he will certainly win at least a couple of games, but will have some …

Chess fraternity reacts to teen making history

Gukesh wins Candidates: 17-year-old D Gukesh from Chennai scripted history in Toronto at the prestigious Candidates chess tournament after his draw with World No 3 Hikaru Nakamura ensured that he earns the right to challenge reigning world champions Ding Liren for his crown next year. It was a remarkable achievement for the teenager from India, whose career is already littered with many historic moments. He became India’s youngest grandmaster ever at the age of 12 years, seven months, 17 days, missing the tag of the world’s youngest by a mere 17 days. He overhauled the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand as the country’s top ranked player for the first time after 36 years last year. Now, he has added another feat to that impressive list. There was a massive outpouring of awe on social media after Gukesh claimed his title with everyone from former world champions to legends of the game tweeting. Here’s how the chess fraternity reacted to Gukesh winning the prestigious tournament. Here’s what five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand said on social media …

Gukesh wins Candidates: The boy raised without chess engines who’ll challenge Ding Liren at World Championships | Chess News

If anyone still had any doubts about this, the era of the Indian teenage prodigy is here. D Gukesh, the 17-year-old from Chennai who was the second youngest player ever to compete at the prestigious Candidates tournament, has become the youngest ever winner of the event (which will also make him the youngest ever to compete at the World Chess Championship) after his draw against Hikaru Nakamura in the final round of the Candidates chess tournament. While only the draw would have just sent him to the tiebreaks, luck smiled on Gukesh as there was a last-minute draw in the game between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana, which propelled Gukesh to the title. In his fledgling career, 17-year-old Gukesh has constantly wooed history. He became India’s youngest grandmaster ever at the age of 12 years, seven months, 17 days, missing the tag of the world’s youngest by a mere 17 days. He overhauled the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand as the country’s top ranked player for the first time after 36 years last year. Now, …

Chess Candidates 2024 Live Updates: Gukesh takes on Hikaru Nakamura with history on line | Chess News

FIDE Chess Candidates 2024 Round 14 LIVE: After the exhausting three-week-long marathon that is the Candidates, comes the mad dash to the finish line with four runners trying to breast the tape. D Gukesh, the youngest of the lot at 17 years of age, inched ahead of the three veterans by half a point heading into the final round by defeating Alireza Firouzja in Round 13. The other three challengers — Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana — are half a point behind Gukesh heading into the final round. The Indian holds his fate in his hands as he plays Nakamura in Round 14 while Nepomniachtchi and Caruana are up against each other. Scroll down to check out our live coverage of the 14th round of the Candidates INTERACTIVE: You can follow the move-by-move action from the Round 14 Candidates game between Gukesh and Hikaru Nakamura below and also click on the notations at the right of the board to retrace the way the game developed: .. INTERACTIVE: You can follow the move-by-move action from …