World Chess Championship 2024: At just 18 years of age, Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju has challenged World Chess Champion Ding Liren for the title in a historic match. Gukesh, who has already broken several records, is dreaming of becoming the youngest ever undisputed World Chess Champion.
Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, at just 18 years old, is challenging reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren (China) for the title. The best-of-14-games match is taking place at Resorts World Sentosa on Monday (25 November), with a total prize fund of $2.5 million (£1.98 million).
World Chess Championship 2024: Ding vs. Gukesh
Gukesh and Ding have faced off only three times in classical games so far, due to their age difference. But their encounters have already generated a lot of interest among fans. Ding leads their head-to-head record with a score of 2½-½, including 2 wins and 1 draw, all matches after January 2023. His most recent match was at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee, where Ding won with the Black pieces.
World Chess Championship 2024: A historic opportunity for Gukesh
At just 18 years of age, Gukesh has a historic chance to become world chess champion. If he wins, he will break the record of Garry Kasparov, who became world champion in 1985 at the age of 22. Gukesh’s rapid rise is attracting everyone’s attention in the chess world, and many experts are predicting a bright future for him.
World Chess Championship 2024: Early Chess Journey and Training
Gukesh’s chess journey began at the age of just 7, when he started learning chess at Velammal School in Chennai, India. His first coach, Bhaskar V, recognized Gukesh’s special talent during a casual extracurricular activity. By Class 4, Gukesh got fully involved in his chess training and his dedication increased day by day.
Under the guidance of two more coaches, Vijayanand and Vishnu Prasanna, Gukesh further improved his tactical and positional awareness. Unlike his peers, Gukesh decided to avoid using chess engines during his early training. Instead, he developed his instincts and calculation abilities on his own. This bold decision proved very fruitful for him, and Gukesh became famous for his precise calculations and sharp intuition.
World Chess Championship 2024: Key Achievements and Mentorship
Gukesh has created history many times. At just 17 years of age, he stunned the chess world by winning the Candidates Tournament in Toronto and became the smallest challenger for the World Chess Championship. He made his name one of the brightest stars of chess by defeating top players like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura, and Fabiano Caruana.
In 2022, Gukesh achieved the honour of becoming India’s top-ranked chess player by defeating Viswanathan Anand. This historical achievement is special because Anand, who was the face of Indian chess for several decades, was defeated in the rankings for the first time by someone.
World Chess Championship 2024: Guidance of Chess Legends
One of the main reasons for Gukesh’s rapid rise is the mentorship of Viswanathan Anand, five-time World Chess Champion from India. Anand has played a vital role in Gukesh’s development, inspiring him to work with top coaches and helping him refine his skills. Gukesh considers Anand one of his biggest influences, and Anand’s guidance has been crucial in shaping his career.
As well as his chess mentors, Gukesh also sought the help of mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, well known for his work with the Indian cricket and hockey teams. Upton was deeply impressed by Gukesh’s self-awareness and maturity, and praised him by giving him an “absolute blessing”.
