Candidate Master (2015); International Master (2018); Grandmaster (2019).
Gukesh won his Candidate Master title at the Asian U9 Asian Schools Championship in 2015. His first International Master norm was gained at the First Friday tournament in Puchong, Malaysia held in October 2017, his second at the Moscow Open of 2018. On 10 March 2018, he gained his third IM norm at the completion of the Cappelle la Grande Open when he scored the requisite 7/9 needed for the norm.
As Gukesh's rating had moved above 2400 during the Capelle la Grande Open, his IM title came into effect upon completion of his third norm, at the age of 11 years 9 months and 9 days.
A month after he won his IM title, Gukesh finished equal third at the Bangkok Chess Club Open, scored an undefeated 7/9 that included a 3/4 score against his GM opponents, including a win against Nigel Short. His result at Bangkok also produced his first GM norm. In December 2018, he won his second GM norm when he took out the Orbis 2 GM round robin event in Paracin in Serbia, with 7.5/9, including a plus score against the GMs in the event. His 3rd GM norm occurred on 15 January 2019 at the Delhi International. As his live rating crossed 2500 during this event, he gained his GM title with immediate effect at the age of 12 years 7 months and 17 days, missing the world record set by Sergey Karjakin for becoming the world's youngest GM by 17 days to become the second youngest GM ever. As of June 2023, he is one of five players who earned their GM titles before the age of 13, including Abhimanyu Mishra, Karjakin, Javokhir Sindarov, and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
Gukesh finished second in the 2023 FIDE Circuit. Since the top finisher, Fabiano Caruana, had already qualified for the World Championship Candidates (2024), that qualified Gukesh for the tournament. Not yet aged 18, he won it, scoring 9/14 (+5 =8 -1). That made him the youngest ever winner of a Candidates Tournament, and the youngest ever World Chess Championship challenger.
On December 12, 2024, Gukesh defeated reigning world champion Ding Liren to become the youngest undisputed world champion ever, at 18 years, 6 months, and 13 days. That is more than four years younger than the previous record-holder, Garry Kasparov, who in 1985 became the undisputed world champion at 22 years, 6 months, and 27 days. Ruslan Ponomariov became FIDE World Champion at 18 years, 3 months, and 12 days by winning the FIDE World Championship Tournament (2001/02).
Reference: https://www.chessbase.in/news/Chess... includes interviews with Gukesh, parents and coach
Wikipedia article: Gukesh D
Kibitzing
