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Gukesh D’s dominant performance at the Candidates Tournament comes as a breath of fresh air for Indian chess enthusiasts. The last time a player from the country won the prestigious event was a decade ago when the legendary Vishwanath Anand emerged victorious in 2014.
Anand, a five-time World Champion, was the only Indian to have won the competition before Gukesh’s terrific run in Toronto, Canada. The 58-year-old qualified for his first Candidates Tournament nearly 30 years ago in 1993. In his debut at the event, the Indian finished with a quarterfinal appearance.
Two years later, Anand finally won the prestigious event, winning the 1995 version. Anand won his second Candidates title in 1998, defeating Britain's Michael Adam in his final round.
Vishwanath Anand’s smash Candidate Tournament win came in 2014. The win gave him the chance to challenge reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen to try and regain his World Championships title. However, in the duo's battle in Sochi, Russia, the Indian fell short 6.5 to 4.5 after 11 of the 13 scheduled games.
Gukesh D crowned the 2024 Candidates Tournament champion
India might have experienced a dry spell at the Candidates Tournament after Vishwanath Anand’s 2014 success, but Gukesh D has turned the tide and he has done it in style.
Competing in Toronto, the 17-year-old who was unsure of qualifying for the event just a few months ago, has now won it dominantly. Over the course of nearly 20 days, the Indian won five of his eight matches to be crowned champion.
In the final round, the chess prodigy ended up in a draw with Hikaru Nakamura, with another draw between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana ensuring that Gukesh walked away with the win.
This makes the Indian the youngest person to ever have won the event, and he will be the youngest World Championship contender in history. Gukesh D will battle it out against China's Ding Liren for the title.
