Not considered as a title favourite by many, India’s teenage sensation Gukesh D has become the youngest to win the Candidates tournament after 14 rounds of play over three weeks as he held American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura on to a draw. Gukesh needed to win the Round 14 game, but after the draw, his title contention depended on the Fabiano Caruana-Ian Nepomniachtchi clash. After 109 moves, the duo reluctantly shook hands before agreeing to a draw which meant that the 17-year-old was declared the youngest winner of the Candidates.
Gukesh has become only the second Indian to qualify for the World Championship final after Viswanathan Anand. Gukesh will be the first teenager to compete for chess’ biggest prize as he is set to take on China’s Ding Liren later this year for the title.
“There are pros and cons considering my age and, you could say, lack of experience, but there are also some advantages. Like such a long tournament, it is easier to be focused at my age. There is a lack of experience, but I am trying my best.”
More to follow…
