Gukesh Dommaraju, an 18-year-old Indian prodigy, is just one step away from becoming the World Champion. \ud83c\udfc6<\/p>\n
Born in the chess capital of India, Chennai, Gukesh learned to play chess at the age of 7. \ud83c\udfe0\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3
\nHis first coach, Mr. Bhasker, recognized the spark in him, and after just six months of intense training, Gukesh achieved a FIDE rating of 1291. \ud83c\udf1f\ud83c\udf93<\/p>\n
Gukesh attended Velammal Vidyalaya, a group of schools known for producing many chess grandmasters, including Praggnanandhaa, Aravindh, and Karthikeyan. \ud83c\udf93\ud83d\udc51<\/p>\n
Gukesh progressed rapidly, and in 2019, at the age of 12 years, 7 months, and 17 days, he became the second youngest Grandmaster in history at the time. \ud83c\udf1f\ud83d\udcc8<\/p>\n
Along with his school, his parents were a strong pillar of support. His father left his job to accompany Gukesh to tournaments, ensuring that he could focus solely on his game. \ud83c\udfc5 During the ups and downs, his mother was always there to uplift him. \ud83c\udf38\ud83c\udfe0<\/p>\n
Fast forward to 2022, when Gukesh gained the spotlight after his incredible performance at the FIDE Chess Olympiad, where he won individual gold for his scintillating performance of 9 out of 11. \ud83e\udd47\ud83c\udf1f\u265f\ufe0f<\/p>\n
As stated by his trainer, GM Vishnu Prasanna, Gukesh\u2019s work ethic, combined with his strategic supremacy and understanding, set him apart from others. \ud83c\udfaf\ud83e\udde0<\/p>\n
In the same year, he crossed the 2700 rating mark, and there was no looking back from there. \ud83d\udcc8\ud83d\ude80<\/p>\n
In August 2023, he became the youngest player to surpass the 2750 mark. By September, he had climbed to world number 8 and also became India\u2019s number 1\u2014a position held by Vishwanathan Anand for 37 years. \ud83c\udf1f\ud83d\udd1d<\/p>\n
Then, in April 2024, Gukesh stunned the world by winning his first-ever Candidates Tournament, finishing ahead of the world\u2019s best chess players. \ud83c\udfc6\ud83c\udf0f<\/p>\n
As a result, he became the youngest player in chess history to fight for the World Champion title. \ud83d\udc51\u265f\ufe0f<\/p>\n
And here we are, just a couple of days away from the most captivating clash between the current World Champion, Ding Liren, and the Indian prodigy, Gukesh D. \ud83c\udf89\ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n
The stage is set: Game 1 kicks off on Monday, November 25. \ud83d\udcc5\u265f\ufe0f<\/p>\n
The World Champion versus the youngest challenger of all time! \ud83c\udf1f<\/p>\n
Will Ding Liren prove once again that he is one of the strongest players of all time, or will Gukesh make history at the tender age of 18? Only time will tell. \u23f3\ud83c\udfc6<\/p>\n
If Gukesh wins, he will become the youngest World Champion in the history of chess, just at the age of 18. \ud83c\udf82\ud83c\udf1f<\/p>\n
Go Gukesh!\ud83d\udcaa\ud83d\udc4f<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"