Why in News?
Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion at the age of 18. He claimed the title of the World Chess Championship after defeating China’s Ding Liren.
Key Points about the Championship and Match:
- Location: The 2024 World Chess Championship was held in Singapore.
- The Final Match: Gukesh faced China’s Ding Liren in the 14th and final round of the championship, which began on November 25, 2024. After 13 intense games, the score was tied at 6.5-6.5, leading to a thrilling final match.
- Victory Moment: In the 14th game, Gukesh capitalized on a blunder by Ding Liren, securing a 7.5-6.5 victory. The match was expected to end in a tie-breaker, but Gukesh’s strategic move in the 55th turn, exploiting Liren’s mistake, earned him the win.
- Youngest Champion: At the age of just 18, Gukesh became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, breaking the record previously set by Garry Kasparov, who won the title at 22.
- Significance for India: Gukesh’s win marks India’s second World Chess Champion after Viswanathan Anand, who held the title multiple times between 2000 and 2013.
- Prize Money: Gukesh earned a prize of ₹11.45 crores for his World Championship victory, becoming one of the highest-paid chess players in the tournament’s history.
Who is D Gukesh?
- Full Name: Gukesh Dommaraju (D Gukesh)
- Personal Details:
- Born: 29 May 2006
- Place of Birth: Chennai, India
- Peak Rating: 2794 (October 2024)
- Current Ranking: No. 5 (December 2024)
- Title: Grandmaster (2019)
- World Champion: 2024–present
- Family:
- Father: Rajinikanth (ENT surgeon) and Mother: Padma (Microbiologist)
- Education: Gukesh studied at Velammal Vidyalaya, Chennai.
- Introduction to Chess: Gukesh started playing chess at the age of 7, practicing one hour, three days a week. His talent was recognized early, and he soon began participating in more tournaments.
- Career and Achievements:
- 2015: Won the Under-9 section at the Asian School Chess Championships.
- 2017: Became an International Master at age 11.
- 2018: Won the World Youth Chess Championship in the Under-12 category.
- Won five gold medals at the Asian Youth Chess Championships in various formats (individual and team in rapid, blitz, and classical).
- 2019: On 15 January 2019, at the age of 12 years, 7 months, Gukesh became the second-youngest grandmaster in history at that time (only behind Sergey Karjakin).
- He is now the third-youngest grandmaster after Abhimanyu Mishra surpassed him.
- 2021: Won the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour, Gelfand Challenge.
- 2022: At the 44th Chess Olympiad, Gukesh played board 1 for India-2 and won the gold medal on board 1 with a 9/11 score.
- He also reached a rating of over 2700, making him the third-youngest to achieve this.
- 2023: Became the youngest player to surpass a FIDE rating of 2750.
- Qualified for the 2024 Candidates Tournament after a strong performance in the 2023 World Cup.
- Surpassed Viswanathan Anand to become India’s top-ranked player.
- 2024: Gukesh defeated Ding Liren with a score of 7.5–6.5 to become the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion.
- He is now the 18th World Chess Champion, making history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion.
About World Chess Championship:
- In 1886, the first official World Chess Championship match was held between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort.
- Steinitz defeated Zukertort, becoming the first World Chess Champion.
- This marked the beginning of the modern World Chess Championship series.
- Early Years (1886–1946): Champions set the terms for their title defenses. A challenger had to arrange a match against the reigning champion to contest the title, often involving substantial financial stakes. Alexander Alekhine was the champion until his death in 1946, when the title was left vacant.
- FIDE Takes Control (1946–1948): Following Alekhine’s death in 1946, FIDE (International Chess Federation) assumed control over the organization of the World Chess Championship.
- A tournament in 1948 was held to determine a new World Chess Champion, with Mikhail Botvinnik emerging victorious.
- From this point, the World Chess Championship was organized by FIDE, introducing new qualification processes.
- From 1948 to 1993, FIDE organized the Championship cycle with regional tournaments, the Interzonal tournament, and the Candidates Tournament to determine the challenger for the reigning champion.
- Mikhail Botvinnik became the first FIDE-organized World Chess Champion, holding the title through multiple defenses.
- The title was contested every three years, and the cycle was based on elimination tournaments.
- In 2006, the titles were unified when Vladimir Kramnik, the reigning World Champion (FIDE), faced Viswanathan Anand in a match that integrated the two titles. Anand emerged as the World Chess Champion, holding the title from 2007 to 2013.
- Since then, the World Chess Championship has been governed by FIDE, with matches typically held every two years.
- The World Chess Championship is open to all players, but there are also separate championships for specific categories, including women, under-20s, lower age groups, and seniors.
- Chess world championships are held in various formats, such as rapid, blitz, correspondence, problem solving, Fischer random chess, and computer chess.
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International Chess Federation – (FIDE)
FIDE’s continental regions are:
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Championship Format
The modern World Chess Championship follows a structured four-phase cycle that determines the challenger for the reigning world champion.
- Regional Tournaments (Qualification Events): These tournaments include the Chess World Cup, Continental Championships, and other qualification tournaments sanctioned by FIDE (International Chess Federation). These events may be open or restricted to players from specific regions or countries.
- Candidates Tournament (Challenger Selection): Traditionally, the Candidates Tournament features eight of the world’s strongest chess players, although the format can vary. The format is usually a double round-robin tournament, where each player faces every other player twice: once with each color (white and black).
- World Chess Championship Match (Champion vs. Challenger): The match is typically played over 12 to 14 games, with the first player to score 6.5 points (out of a possible 12 or 14) winning the match and the title. If the score is tied at 6-6, tiebreak games (often rapid or blitz) are played to determine the winner.
- Title Defense and New Cycle: After the conclusion of the World Chess Championship, the titleholder begins the next cycle by defending their title in the next championship cycle. This cycle continues in regular intervals, typically every two years, with the champion being challenged and the best players from around the world vying for the prestigious title.
FIDE World Chess Champions (2006–Present) List
- Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)
- Years: 2006–2007
- Kramnik won the unified World Chess Championship title in 2006, after defeating Veselin Topalov in a match. He held the title until 2007.
- Viswanathan Anand (India)
- Years: 2007–2013
- He defeated Kramnik in 2007 and won this title. He successfully defended his title in 2008, 2010, and 2012 before losing it in 2013.
- Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
- Years: 2013–2023
- Carlsen defeated Anand in 2013 to become the World Chess Champion. He successfully defended his title in 2014, 2016, and 2018, maintaining the title until 2023.
- Ding Liren (China)
- Years: 2023–2024
- Ding Liren won the title after defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2023, becoming the World Chess Champion.
- Gukesh Dommaraju (India)
- Years: 2024–Present
- Gukesh Dommaraju defeated Ding Liren in the 2024 World Chess Championship to claim the title, becoming the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion.
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