Cover Indian chess grandmaster DommarGukesh Dommaraju at the Tata Steel Chess India tournament 2023 at Bhasa Bhavan (Photo: Getty Images)
Indian chess grandmaster DommarGukesh Dommaraju at the Tata Steel Chess India tournament 2023 at Bhasa Bhavan (Photo: Getty Images)
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The 18-year-old chess prodigy defeated reigning champion Ding Liren in Singapore last week to earn the distinction
In a historic victory on Thursday, December 12, Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest undisputed world chess champion at just 18 years old. In a thrilling championship match held in Singapore, he defeated reigning champion Ding Liren of China with a score of 7.5 to 6.5. This remarkable achievement broke Garry Kasparov’s long-standing record and solidified Dommaraju’s place as a chess legend.
The excitement is not limited to the chess community, as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended congratulations on behalf of the nation, calling the achievement “Historic and exemplary” on X, Modi said that the landmark victory “has not only etched his name in the annals of chess history but has also inspired millions of young minds to dream big and pursue excellence.”
Here’s what we know about the fast-rising chess phenomenon.
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1. Gukesh Dommaraju has toppled a 39-year-old chess record
Gukesh Dommaraju’s achievement broke Garry Kasparov’s record—which has stood since 1985 when Kasparov became the undisputed world champion at age 22 by defeating Anatoly Karpov. Born May 29, 2006, the 18-year-old Dommaraju surpassed Kasparov’s record by four years.
Dommaraju is no stranger to record-breaking. At age 12 years, 7 months and 17 days, he became the second-youngest person to become a chess grandmaster. He remains the third-youngest grandmaster ever, behind Abhimanyu Mishra, who holds the record at age 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days; and Sergey Karjakin, at 12 years and seven months.
Dommaraju is also only the second Indian to hold the title of world champion, following Viswanathan Anand. Dommaraju surpassed Anand as the top-ranked Indian player in 2023, marking the first time in 37 years that Anand was not the top-ranked Indian chess player.
2. He has set other records as the ‘youngest’ chess player for many milestones
Born in Chennai, India, Gukesh Dommaraju started playing at age 7. His talent became evident early on as he quickly climbed the ranks in youth tournaments. He won the under-9 section of the Asian School Chess Championships in 2015, and the World Youth Chess Championship in 2018 in the under-12 category. That same year, he took home a record five gold medals in the under-12 events from the 2018 Asian Youth Chess Championship.
Prior to earning his grandmaster title, he completed the requirements for the title of International Master in March 2017, at age 11. He crossed the 2600 Elo rating threshold in 2021, becoming one of the youngest players ever to reach this milestone. By 2022, he became the third-youngest player to surpass the 2700 rating, and a year later became the youngest player ever to surpass the 2750 mark. During the Aimchess Rapid tournament in October 2022, Dommaraju became the youngest to beat the reigning world chess champion, Magnus Carlsen.
The third-youngest player to qualify for a Candidates tournament, behind Bobby Fischer and Carlsen, the 17-year-old became the youngest-ever winner of the FIDE Candidates tournament in April 2024, earning his place to challenge Ding Liren.
3. His chess career has been a record of relentless success
Even before his win in Singapore, Dommaraju has been blazing a trail with a stellar track record. He won a gold medal at the 2022 Chess Olympiad, where his performance led India to a historic finish. Playing on the top board, Dommaraju defeated several established grandmasters and won the individual gold medal for his exceptional performance. Later that same year, he was part of the Indian team that won the silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the men's team competition. In October 2022 Dommaraju won the Aimchess Rapid tournament, beating out Magnus Carlsen.
Though he lost to Carlsen at the Chess World Cup 2023, he managed to advance to the quarterfinals in the tournament. At the end of 2023, he finished second in the FIDE Circuit to earn his place in the World Chess Championship match against Ding Liren.
In January Dommaraju finished in a four-way tie for the first place in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024, and in April 2024 became the youngest-ever winner of the Candidates tournament in Toronto, with only a single loss.
Continuing on his path to the world championship, Gukesh Dommaraju did not lose a single match at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest in September, helping India win their first-ever team gold medal at the Olympiad.
4. Gukesh Dommaraju’s parents have wholeheartedly supported his chess career
Gukesh Dommaraju’s rise to the top would not have been possible without the unwavering support of his family. His parents, Rajinikanth Dommaraju and Padmavathi Dommaraju, were not only instrumental in identifying his potential early on, but they also dedicated their time and resources to fostering his growth.
In fact, Rajinikanth put his career as an ENT surgeon on hold to travel with the young chess prodigy to his various tournaments, leaving Padma, a microbiologist, to become the breadwinner. Family friends also helped crowd-fund his career: Gukesh has spoken about how, in 2017 and 2018, he was sponsored by his parents’ friends when the family was running low on resources.
5. Gukesh’s school gifted him with a luxury car—even though the chess grandmaster stopped going to regular classes years ago
In anticipation of his World Championship match, Dommaraju’s school, Velammal Vidyalaya, feted their famous student with a spectacular laser and drone show and the gift of a Mercedes Benz E-Class last August. While the chess player had to set aside regular schooling after Class IV when his career took off, he has said that his exposure to chess began in Velammal. In particular, he remembers being inspired by Viswanathan Anand during a school visit when Dommaraju was a young child.
In an evening that was absolutely electric, Velammal Nexus felicitated their student Gukesh for his phenomenal achievements - the most notable one being winning the Candidates 2024 and becoming a World Championship Challenger.
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) August 11, 2024
Gukesh was gifted a car by his school and guess… pic.twitter.com/x5jt36MnYY
6. The million-dollar prize from the World Championships is just the beginning
The new world champion was awarded US$1.35 million, while the former champion did not go home empty-handed, bringing home US$1.15 million from the match. Other prizes and gifts will certainly follow in the wake of the historic win, with the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, announcing a prize of ₹5 crore, or about US$590,000.
To honour the monumental achievement of @DGukesh, the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, I am delighted to announce a cash prize of ₹5 crore!
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) December 13, 2024
His historic victory has brought immense pride and joy to the nation. May he continue to shine and achieve greater heights in the… pic.twitter.com/3h5jzFr8gD
The money is nice, but like a true champion, Gukesh Dommaraju has said that financial reward was never his primary motivation in striving to be the world’s best.
