Gukesh Becomes Youngest World Champion: India’s Chess Triumph in 2024!

2024 was an exciting year for India in chess! D Gukesh, just 21 years old, won the World Chess Championship in Singapore, making history as the youngest champion ever and India’s second champion after Viswanathan Anand. Gukesh beat the defending champion, Ding Liren, in a tough match. It was a fierce competition, but Gukesh took control in the final game after Liren made a big mistake, leading him to victory.

Soon after, Koneru Humpy won the World Rapid Championship in New York, showing she’s one of the best players in the world, too! Latest FIDE rankings show Gukesh is currently ranked fifth overall with a score of 2783, while fellow Indian player Arjun Erigaisi holds fourth place with a score of 2801.

For women in chess, Humpy is ranked sixth with a score of 2523. Divya Deshmukh is in 14th place with 2490, and D Harika is close behind at 16th with 2489. R Vaishali, who won a bronze medal in the Blitz Championship, holds the 19th position but started strong with eight wins before losing a crucial match against the future champion, Ju Wenjun.

Magnus Carlsen, a famous player from Norway, leads the FIDE rankings with a score of 2831. Following him are American players Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, while Anand remains in the top ten at 10th place with a score of 2750.

After Gukesh’s amazing victory, social media erupted with cheers, and he is set to receive the prestigious Khel Ratna award for his achievement.