India’s 18-year-old chess grandmaster D. Gukesh created history by becoming the youngest world chess champion. He defeated China’s Ding Liren in a thrilling final match held in Singapore.
Gukesh won 3 games, while Ding Liren won 2 out of a total of 14 games. His victory sparked celebrations across India and an emotional reaction from Gukesh himself.
Gukesh Dommaraju Biography
Gukesh was born on 29 May 2006 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to a Telugu family. His family originally hails from Chenchuraju Kandriga near Satyavedu in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. His father, Dr. Rajinikanth, is an ENT surgeon, and his mother, Dr. Padmavati (Padma), is a microbiologist.
Both parents recognized Gukesh’s chess talent at a young age and fully supported his ambitions. His father even put his medical career on hold to accompany Gukesh to tournaments around the world.
Gukesh studied at Velammal Vidyalaya School in Mel Ayanambakkam, Chennai. He started playing chess at the age of seven and soon developed a keen interest in the game. With constant practice and guidance, Gukesh became one of the youngest chess prodigies in India.
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dommaraju Gukesh |
| Profession | Chess Player (Grandmaster) |
| Date of Birth | May 29, 2006 |
| Age | 18 years (as of 2024) |
| Birthplace | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Father | Rajnikanth (ENT Surgeon) |
| Mother | Padma (Microbiologist) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Height | 5’7″ (170 cm) |
| FIDE Rating | 2783 |
| Net Worth | ₹8.25 crore (~$1 million) |
| Social Media |
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Career Journey Of Gukesh Dommaraju
2013
- Gukesh started playing chess at the age of seven, which is later compared to other chess prodigies like Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen (who started at five).
- He was introduced to chess by his school (Velammal Group of schools, Chennai).
- His first coach, Mr. Bhaskar, helped him become a FIDE-rated player within six months.
2015
- Gukesh was trained by Mr. Vijayanand and achieved international success.
- He won the under-9 title at the Asian School Chess Championships.
- He earned the Candidate Master (CM) title.
2017
- Gukesh began fulfilling International Master (IM) norms at the age of 11.
- In October 2017, he earned his first IM norm at the First Friday tournament in Puchong, Malaysia.
- He started training with GM Vishnu Prasanna, a well-known Indian coach.
2018
- Gukesh earned his second IM norm at the Moscow Open.
- On March 10, 2018, he secured his final IM norm at the Cappelle la Grande Open by scoring 7/9 points.
- He became an International Master at the age of 11 years, 9 months, and 9 days.
- He also won five gold medals at the Asian Youth Chess Championships in the under-12 category (individual and team events in classical, rapid, and blitz).
- At the World Youth Chess Championships, he won the under-12 title with 10/11 points.
- In April 2018, Gukesh earned his first GM norm at the Bangkok Open, where he famously defeated GM Nigel Short due to Short’s time oversight.
- His second GM norm came at the Orbis 2 GM event.
- He narrowly missed becoming the youngest grandmaster in history at the Sunway Sitges Chess Festival in December 2018, where he drew a must-win game.
2023
- Gukesh won the Junior Speed Chess Championship by defeating IM Emin Ohanyan, GM Pranav V, and GM Raunak Sadhwani.
- In July 2023, he crossed the 2750 FIDE rating barrier, becoming the youngest player ever to do so.
- He also won the Chennai Masters in December, positioning himself to compete in the 2024 Candidates Tournament.
2024
- Gukesh entered the Candidates Tournament starting on April 4, 2024, as an underdog.
- By round 5, he was tied for first place.
- A loss in round 7 to GM Alireza Firouzja seemed like a setback, but he rebounded strongly.
- By round 11, he was still competing for the top spot.
- He regained first place after winning two consecutive matches in rounds 12 and 13 against GM Nijat Abasov and Firouzja in their rematch.
Networth & Prize Money
Gukesh has an estimated net worth of around ₹8.25 crores (approximately $1 million). His earnings come from tournament prizes, sponsorships, and endorsements. Despite his financial success, Gukesh remains humble and focuses on his chess career.
At the 2024 World Chess Championship, each classical game win was worth $200,000 (approximately ₹1.69 crores). Gukesh won three games, earning him $600,000 (approximately ₹5.07 crores). His opponent, Ding Liren, won two games, earning him $400,000 (approximately ₹3.38 crores).
The remaining prize pool of $1.5 million will be split equally between the two players. This means Gukesh’s total prize money will be $1.35 million (roughly ₹11.45 crores), while Liren will get $1.15 million (roughly ₹9.75 crores).
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