D Gukesh

Dommaraju Gukesh (born 29 May 2006) is an Indian chess grandmaster who became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion in December 2024 at the age of 18 years and 214 days, breaking Garry Kasparov's record that had stood since 1985. This historic achievement made him the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the World Chess Championship. Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Gukesh showed prodigious chess talent from a very young age. He earned his grandmaster title at the age of 12 years, 7 months, and 17 days in 2019, becoming the second-youngest grandmaster in chess history at the time. He trained at the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy, founded by Viswanathan Anand. Gukesh qualified for the 2024 World Chess Championship by winning the FIDE Candidates Tournament in April 2024. He faced defending champion Ding Liren of China in a 14-game match held in Singapore. After a closely contested match, Gukesh won the title with a dramatic final game, becoming the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion since Garry Kasparov in 1985. His victory sparked a chess revolution in India, with chess academies seeing record enrollment and the government increasing support for the sport. Gukesh's achievement at such a young age has drawn comparisons to chess prodigies like Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen.