“Manifesting Greatness: Gukesh, the Youngest Chess Champion of the Olympics”
Gukesh Dommaraju, born on November 29, 2006, in Chennai, has become one of the most promising young talents in the world of chess. His journey in chess began at the age of 7, and by the time he was just 12, Gukesh had already captured the world’s attention. In 2019, he won the title of Grandmaster at the remarkable age of 12 years and 7 months, making him one of the youngest Grandmasters in history at that time.
it’s his remarkable steadiness and growth. Aggressiveness, deep opening prep, and the ability to beat opponents in complicated middle-game situations have made him an overall force in both classical and rapid formats. He is one of the first, breaking several records as one of the youngest Indians to cross the 2600 Elo rating, establishing him as a shining gem in the global chess community in the year 2020.
Achievements of Gukesh
Gukesh’s list of achievements is already impressive. He has secured victories in international tournaments such as the European Individual Chess Championship and Tata Steel Chess India. His performance in the Chess Olympiad, where he helped India secure a historic 5th place finish, is another testament to his prowess. He has been one of the standout players in the online chess community, particularly in the Chess.com Global Championship where he played against world-class opponents.
Gukesh won the individual Gold medal for best performance in the last two Olympiads. He led India to a team bronze at Chennai in 2022 and the gold medal in 2024 in Budapest.
In October 2022, at the Aimchess Rapid online tournament, Gukesh defeated Magnus Carlsen, and became the youngest player to beat Carlsen in an official game since the latter became world champion. In August 2023 Gukesh became the youngest player to surpass the 2750 rating, breaking a record previously held by Carlsen. In 2023, Gukesh gained international attention for defeating top grandmasters such as Levon Aronian and Wesley So, among others. These victories highlighted his skills and his ability to compete at the highest level. He has consistently been among the top young talents in the world and, in 2023, he broke into the Top 20 in the FIDE World Rankings, establishing himself as one of the youngest and brightest talents in chess.
As World Champion Magnus Carlsen once said, “Chess is a sport, a game, a puzzle, a fight,” and Gukesh exemplifies this mindset with his relentless pursuit of excellence. Despite his age, Gukesh has repeatedly outperformed experienced players, demonstrating maturity beyond his years. His journey is an inspiration to young chess enthusiasts across India and the world, proving that with determination, age is no barrier to greatness.