Dommaraju Gukesh, the 17-year-old chess prodigy, has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming India’s top chess player, breaking a live ratings record held by legendary chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand for an astonishing 36 years. Gukesh’s achievement comes after he secured his place in the third round of the prestigious FIDE Chess World Cup, a major single-elimination tournament held in Baku, Azerbaijan. In a thrilling match, Gukesh defeated Misratdin Iskandaro, resulting in a live ranking of 2755.9, narrowly surpassing Anand’s 2754.0.
Protégé of Viswanathan Anand
Notably, Gukesh is a protégé of Viswanathan Anand and has seen a meteoric rise in rankings since entering the top 100 in 2023. Currently, he holds the 11th position in the world based on FIDE’s monthly rankings, which are calculated after each tournament. The live ratings, on the other hand, are calculated daily, immediately after matches.
Earlier this July, Gukesh achieved another remarkable milestone when he became the youngest chess player ever to cross the 2750 mark, surpassing a record previously held by the five-time World Champion, Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen, the current World No. 1 since July 2011, holds a live rating of 2838.4, closely followed by Fabiano Caruana from the US at 2786.4.
FIDE World Cup 2023
The ongoing FIDE World Cup, running until August 25, serves as a qualifier for the highly anticipated 2024 Chess World Championship. A total of 17 Indian players are participating in the tournament, including D Gukesh, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin, SL Narayanan, Abhimanyu Puranik, Adhiban B, Karthik Venkataraman, Harsha Bharathakoti, Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali R, Divya Deshmukh, Nandhidhaa PV, Mary Ann Gomesh, and Priyanka Nutakki, as reported by ChessBase India.
Gukesh’s extraordinary achievements have not only garnered attention in the chess world but also brought immense pride to the nation. As the FIDE World Cup progresses, all eyes will be on Gukesh as he continues to make history and leaves an indelible mark in the world of chess.