Gukesh Dommaraju, 17, becomes youngest challenger for world chess title – video
Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest player to win the men’s Candidates chess tournament after a draw against Hikaru Nakamura on a nailbiting final day of the event. The 17-year-old effectively wrapped up victory in the tournament after American Fabiano Caruana blundered a winning position against Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi to be held to a draw.
Gukesh’s draw with the black pieces put him on 9/14 with Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi and Caruana finishing on 8.5/14. The previous youngest winner of a men’s Candidates tournament was Garry Kasparov, who was 20 when he prevailed in 1984, a year before sealing the world champion title against fellow Russian Anatoly Karpov.