D Gukesh wins 2024 FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament

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D Gukesh wins 2024 FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament

D Gukesh wins 2024 FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament

Context: History has been made as D Gukesh, a 17-year-old Indian Grandmaster from Chennai, won the 2024 FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament in Toronto, Canada. He has achieved the distinction of being the youngest challenger ever for the World Chess Championship, surpassing the record set by Garry Kasparov in 1984.
Gukesh is the second Indian, following Viswanathan Anand, to win the Candidates Tournament and earn the opportunity to challenge the reigning World Champion.

Highlights:

Topic	Details
Gukesh\'s Performance in Candidates Tournament	Gukesh scored 9 out of 14 points in the double round-robin tournament, winning the title by drawing his final game against Hikaru Nakamura. He secured outright victory after results from the Caruana vs. Nepomniachtchi game confirmed his win. Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi, and Caruana tied for second place with 8.5 points each.
Upcoming World Chess Championship Match	Gukesh earned the right to challenge World Champion Ding Liren of China. Dates and venue for the match are pending confirmation. This will be Gukesh\'s debut in a World Championship match, while Ding Liren defends his title for the first time.
Gukesh\'s Chess Career Highlights	Gukesh became the third-youngest Grandmaster in history at age 12. He won a silver medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Gukesh has shown consistent improvement, establishing himself as a top contender globally.
Other Indian Performances	R Praggnanandhaa finished fifth in the Candidates Tournament with 7 points. In the Women’s Candidates Tournament, Koneru Humpy and R Vaishali tied for second place with 7.5 points each, alongside Lei Tingjie of China. The winner, Tan Zhongyi of China, will challenge Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun.

About World Chess Championship:
• The annual competition to determine the world chess champion is organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).
• The first official world chess championship took place in 1886.
• Notable champions throughout history include Wilhelm Steinitz, Jose Raul Capablanca, Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand, and Magnus Carlsen.
• The current format involves the winner of the Candidates Tournament challenging the reigning champion in a 12-game match.
• The youngest world champion to date is Garry Kasparov, who achieved the title at the age of 22 in 1985.
• Viswanathan Anand became the first Indian world champion, holding the title from 2000 to 2002 and then from 2007 to 2013.
• Gukesh\'s historic victory in the Candidates Tournament represents a significant milestone for Indian chess, highlighting the exceptional potential of the country\'s young chess prodigies.