“If I had to pinpoint a moment where I really felt this could be my moment was probably after I lost to Firouzja” - Gukesh D
India’s 17-year-old grandmaster Gukesh D scripted history after becoming the youngest man to win the FIDE Candidates title. The victory also earned him a place in the World Championship final later this year against Ding Liren, the defending world champion.
Gukesh, who hails from Chennai, wasn’t among the favorites when he entered the competition as the third youngest player in the tournament’s history after Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen. Nevertheless, the Indian teenager displayed impressive composure throughout the campaign, winning five games and suffering just one loss, which came against France’s Alireza Firouzja.
Reflecting on his sole defeat against Firouzja during the campaign, Gukesh D expressed that following his loss to the Frenchman, he actually felt a surge of confidence about his prospects of winning the title.
"If I had to pinpoint a moment where I really felt this could be my moment was probably after I lost to Firouzja. Even though I just had a painful loss, I was feeling at my absolute best. The journey is only halfway through,” Gukesh D told in the press conference.
"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,” he stated.
Gukesh D became the second Indian to lift FIDE Candidates title
The teenager became the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to qualify for the World Championship.
Moving into the game’s details, Nakamura’s aggressive tactics aimed to complicate the position, yet the Indian remained composed and unfazed. Though the seasoned American was eager to win the game, as evidenced by his aggressive moves, the turning point arrived when Gukesh capitalized and executed a sequence of precise moves to neutralize the opponent’s threats.
Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa settled with the fifth position in the final standings with seven points while Vidit Gujrathi racked up six points to end with the sixth slot.
On the other hand, Tan Zhongyi won the Women's Candidates tournament by a 1.5-point margin after maintaining a lead throughout the competition. She will take on China’s Ju Wenjun in the Women’s World Chess Championship.