D. Gukesh Becomes Youngest Challenger Ever For World Chess Championship

D. Gukesh, at 17 years old, from Chennai, is poised to compete in the World Chess Championship as the youngest challenger ever.

He secured his spot by emerging victorious in the qualifying event, the Candidates tournament, held in Toronto. In his final round, he drew with the second seed, Hikaru Nakamura of the United States.

If Gukesh wins the Candidates, he will become the youngest challenger to confront world champion Ding Liren of China later this year.

He also became the youngest World Championship challengers and only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to clinch the Candidates.

Hailing from a Telugu-speaking family rooted in the Godavari delta region of Andhra Pradesh, he was born in Chennai. His father, Dr. Rajnikanth, specialises in ear, nose, and throat surgery, while his mother, Padma, is a microbiologist.

In September 2023, he surpassed Viswanathan Anand to become the top-ranked Indian Grandmaster, marking the first instance in 37 years where Anand wasn't the highest-ranked Indian player.