The 17-year-old Indian Grandmaster Gukesh scored 9/14 points to clinch the first place. He is only the the second Indian player after Viswanathan Anand to win the FIDE Candidates Tournament.
Gukesh’s triumph surpassed Kasparov’s record by a significant margin.Kasparov was 22 when he qualified in 1984 to challenge compatriot Anatoly Karpov.
Reflecting on his victory, Gukesh said: “So relieved and so happy. I was following this crazy game (between Fabio Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi), and then I went for a walk with my second (Gregorz Gazevsky), I think that helped,” Gukesh said after winning.
Additionally, Gukesh received a cash prize of 88,500 Euros (approximately Rs 78.5 lakh) out of the total prize fund of 500,000 Euros.
“Congratulations to @DGukesh for becoming the youngest challenger. The @WacaChess family is so proud of what you have done . I’m personally very proud of how you played and handled tough situations. Enjoy the moment,” Anand posted on ‘X’ to congratulate the youngster, who like him, also hails from Chennai.
In the critical final round, Gukesh demonstrated his readiness for the elite level by holding Nakamura to a draw, showcasing his formidable skills on the global stage.
With Gukesh securing 9 points, attention turned to the match between Fabio Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Caruana’s initial advantage was nullified by a time pressure-induced error, ultimately leading to a drawn game.
The final standings saw Caruana, Nepomniachtchi, and Nakamura tied for second place with 8.5 points each, while Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa secured fifth place with seven points.
The world championship dates and venue are yet to be confirmed, marking the next chapter in Gukesh’s promising career after already making significant strides in the chess world, including becoming the third-youngest Grandmaster in history at the age of 12 and winning a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
Final-round results:
Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 8.5) drew with D Gukesh (9); Fabiano Caruana (USA, 8.5) drew with Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE, 8.5); Nijat Abasov (Aze, 3.5) lost to R Praggnanandhaa (7); Firouza Alireza (Fra, 5) drew with Vidit Gujrathi (6).
Final standings:
1.D Gukesh
2-4. Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi, Caruana
5. Pragnanandhaa
6. Gujrathi
7. Alireza
8. Abasov
(With PTI inputs)
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