Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Dommaraju Gukesh, 17, made history when he won the Fide Candidates tournament to become the youngest World Championship challenger. He scored 9/14 points to finish in first place and only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the Candidates.
Going into the final round of the Candidates, it was a bit of a peculiar situation where three players – – Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura – were in a must-win situation to stay alive. As sole leader, all Gukesh needed was a draw against World No. 3 Nakamura and for the result in the game between Caruana and Nepomniachtchi to be drawn as well. He went on to have both his wishes granted.
In a field that featured two of the world’s top three players and a two-time World Championship challenger, Gukesh wasn’t given much odds for his first Candidates appearance. Over the past three weeks, the teen has turned the odds on their head, playing some excellent chess, staying unruffled under pressure and displaying maturity and calm far beyond his years.
