Who is Gukesh Dommaraju?

Gukesh Dommaraju:

Early Promise & History-Making

Born in 2006, D. Gukesh Dommaraju shot to prominence as a chess prodigy. In 2021, he earned the grandmaster title and by 2024, at age 18 years and 6 months, became the youngest undisputed world champion ever.

Major Recent Milestones

• Norway Chess 2025 (June): Defeated Magnus Carlsen in Round 6—his first classical win over the world No.1—prompting a visceral reaction from Carlsen.

• Tata Steel Chess 2025: Shared the lead with Praggnanandhaa; narrowly missed the title in the blitz tiebreaks.

• Grand Chess Tour (May–July 2025):

  • Romania rapid-blitz: finished 6th.

  • Zagreb rapid: A dominant 14/18 and five-win streak including two victories over Carlsen, leading into the blitz phase.

Playing Style & Training

Gukesh combines brilliant tactical vision with a calculative style—his ability to calculate deep has been praised by veterans like Garry Kasparov. He’s equally lauded for composure under pressure, especially evident in his Norway Chess triumph. Reports note he has honed resilience through focused time‑management techniques, especially helpful against strong opposition like Nakamura.

Despite classical success, blitz remains a challenge. In Zagreb, pace betrayed him, as Garry Kasparov suggested blitz intensity demands different stamina and intuition.

What Makes Him Special?

• Youthful audacity: Gukesh isn’t intimidated by elite opponents—he understands how to challenge the best from the get-go. This is a common theme that can be found among the new generation of players.

• Specific Focus: Successful across classical, rapid, and championship blitz—but his primary focus has always been on classical chess. Whilst this has led many to doubt his abilities in other time formats, he is still at an elite level across all time standards.

• Mental fortitude: Recovers from losses gracefully, for example he shook off early setbacks at Norway Chess and continues to display unwavering focus when he is in bad positions in games and tournaments. This ability was on display when he won the world championship, and he provides a shining light for all players that need to focus on their psychology.

• Support system: He trains intensively within India’s top chess circles, benefiting from elite grandmaster circuits and rigorous preparation. In addition, it's worth noting that India provides excellent resources to their players and the country has shown an unbelievable ability in chess overall that hasn't been seen in another country other than Russia.

The Road Ahead

As of July 2025, Gukesh is ranked #6 globally with a classical rating of 2776. He aspires to become world #1, and his proud grandfather has stated this goal publicly. To realise that ambition, he’ll need to refine his blitz consistency, sustain dominance in classical formats, and further sharpen his adaptability.

At just 18, Gukesh has already broken records, beaten legends, and proven himself across formats. What makes him exceptional is not only his raw talent—but his calculated brilliance, psychological resilience, and fearless ambition. As he continues to compete in elite events, every outing is another step in what could become a historic ascent to the summit of chess.