From Young Prodigy to Grandmaster: The Inspiring Story of Gukesh D.

The Inspiring Story of Gukesh D

In 2024, Gukesh D achieved an extraordinary milestone by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion. At just 18 years old, he triumphed in the 2024 World Chess Championship after defeating Ding Liren, the reigning champion from China, in a thrilling 14-game match. Gukesh’s victory not only marked the youngest-ever win in World Chess Championship history, but also solidified his place among the chess elite.

Gukesh’s triumph in the 2024 World Chess Championship follows his remarkable win at the Candidates Tournament, where he became the youngest player ever to qualify for a World Chess Championship match. This victory over Ding Liren with a score of 7.5-6.5 in the final round was a defining moment in his career, highlighting his tactical brilliance, resilience, and maturity at a young age.

Gukesh D is also the youngest player to surpass a 2700 Elo rating, reaching 2750 and breaking multiple records along the way. He is the third-youngest Grandmaster in history, and the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the prestigious Candidates Tournament and qualify for a World Chess Championship.

Origins – the journey of Gukesh in chess

Gukesh D was born on 29 may, 2006 in Chennai to the proud parents Dr. Rajnikant and Dr padma. His father was an eye, throat and nose surgeon and mother was a microbiologist. From the beginning only he was having very keen interest in chess which was firstly noticed by his school coach Mr. Bhaskar who introduced him and taught him how to play chess. He is the reason behind Gukesh’s first FIDE rating of 1291 after 6 months of training only.

Gukesh attended the Velammal Vidhyalaya, Mel Ayannambakam school. This group of schools all across Chennai has produced young talents like Grandmaster Kartikeyan, Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram and the more famous one Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa.

His parents were the most important pillars behind his success. They constantly support him to achieve his goals as it was confirmed by chess prodigy only that his father left his job for him and travels everywhere with him for his tournaments. Also his social media handles , invitations, travels etc all are managed by his father. He stated in an interview that his mother was a great supporter to him, she always uplifts him emotionally with each and every ups and downs and stands like a rock with him.

Around this time, Gukesh had already seen his friend Nihal Sarin and later city mate Praggnandha become grandmaster and he surely didn’t want to be left behind.

How Gukesh became world champion

So, how did this quiet kid from Chennai—D. Gukesh—end up becoming the youngest-ever undisputed World Chess Champion? Spoiler: it wasn’t magic. It was raw talent, crazy hard work, and an all-star team backing him every step of the way. What a ride! By reading Gukesh biography, you will know the struggles faced by him and the achievements earned by him.

Gukesh got into chess at just seven. Thanks to his first coach, Mr. Bhaskar, he became a FIDE-rated player in no time. Not long after, Mr. Vijayanand stepped in and helped him grab his first big international win—the U9 title at the 2015 Asian School Chess Championships.

But the real game-changer? July 2017. That’s when Gukesh teamed up with Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna. And Vishnu didn’t just train him—he mentored him. He encouraged Gukesh’s bold, intuitive style and guided him to become a Grandmaster by 2019—India’s second youngest ever! Vishnu was big on mindset, too, helping Gukesh build the kind of mental toughness you need at the top level.

As the stakes got higher, Polish GM Grzegorz Gajewski came on board as his second. His job? Next-level opening prep and strategy—especially for those challenging tournaments. But Gajewski brought more than just chess brains. After a rough patch at the Grand Swiss in 2023, he showed up at the airport at 4 AM in the cold just to see Gukesh off. That stuck with him. “He was there for me at my worst,” Gukesh said. “And we kept working with full enthusiasm.” Now that’s a coach.

Then came the mental game. To overcome the tournament’s pressure, Gukesh needed someone to help him out of the chaos. Enter Paddy Upton. He worked with Gukesh for five months leading up to the championship. No chess advice, just pure mental conditioning. Staying focused. Thinking like a champ.

Fast-forward to April 2024—Candidates Tournament in Toronto. Gukesh stunned the world, dominated the field, and earned the right to challenge the reigning champ.

And in December 2024. The big battle. Gukesh vs. Ding Liren. And guess what? The kid did it. He won. He made history.

Reading Gukesh biography inspires many nascent chess players. From a schoolboy in Chennai to the World Chess Champion—youngest ever. What a story. What a team. What a legend in the making.

Role of Gukesh Coach in his Journey

Becoming the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion didn’t happen overnight for Gukesh.D. It was a team effort—guided by his parents and coaches, who helped shape him at every stage.

Coaches who played a crucial role in Gukesh biography:

Mr. Bhaskar — The First Spark

• Gukesh discovered chess at seven, thanks to his school, Velammal Vidyalaya in Chennai.
• His first coach, Mr. Bhaskar, introduced him to the game and helped him earn a FIDE rating in just six months.
• He quickly noticed Gukesh’s natural flair and drive to improve—even at such a young age.

Mr. Vijayanand — The Early Breakthrough

• Next came Mr. Vijayanand, who coached Gukesh for a short while.
• Under his guidance, Gukesh made his mark internationally.
• He won the Under-9 category at the 2015 Asian School Chess Championships and bagged the Candidate Master (CM) title.

GM Vishnu Prasanna — The Main Mentor

• In July 2017, when Gukesh was around 11, he began training with Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna.
• This partnership lasted till the end of 2022 and became the most crucial phase of his development.
• Prasanna helped Gukesh evolve from an IM norm-chaser into a formidable Grandmaster.
• Instead of forcing a strict style, he encouraged Gukesh’s natural “harmonious chaos” on the board.
• He also focused heavily on mental resilience—teaching Gukesh how to bounce back from losses and stay sharp under pressure.
• Even after 2022, Prasanna remained a trusted advisor and mentor.

GM Grzegorz Gajewski — The Tactical Brain

• Polish Grandmaster Grzegorz Gajewski joined as Gukesh’s “second”—a specialist who helps with deep opening prep and match strategy.
• Gajewski’s insights were game-changers during top-tier tournaments like the Candidates and the World Championship.
• He played a key role in refining Gukesh’s opening repertoire and overall strategy.
• Gukesh often credits conversations with Gajewski (and Prasanna) for helping him find clarity during tough times.
• Gajewski’s belief in him—often reminding him he’s “the best in the world”—gave Gukesh a powerful confidence boost.

Paddy Upton — The Mind Coach

• As Gukesh headed into the World Championship, he brought in Paddy Upton, a top mental conditioning coach.
• Upton, well-known for his role with the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team, worked with Gukesh for about five months.
• His job? Help Gukesh handle pressure, stay focused, sleep well, and think like a world champion.
• Interestingly, Upton knew nothing about chess—and that was the point.
• His focus was purely on mindset, performance under stress, and recovery. And it worked.

Becoming World Chess Champion? That was a huge moment! It truly came down to his parents, his coaches, and lots of hard work. That all paid off in 2024. And honestly, we’re sure there are even more milestones coming his way!

Achievements

2015:-

He won the chess championship in under – 9 section

2017:-

In march of this year he completed all the requirements for the title International chess master at 34th Cappelle La Grande open. Few weeks before this achievement, he started his training under the Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna and as a result won his first international chess master norm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2018:-

In november, he was crowned as the world under – 12 champion in Galicia, Spain with a huge success of score 10/11. After some tournaments he managed to get the grandmaster title at orbis 2 grandmaster round robin event in Parcin, Serbia with the score 7.5/9 while getting the rating point 21 and become the world’s third youngest chess grandmaster.

In 2018, he won 5 gold medals in asian youth championship, Under – 12 individual rapid and blitz, Under – 12 team rapid and blitz and Under – 12 individual classic formats.

2021:-

The young master won the Julius Baer Challengers chess tour with a score of 14/19 points.

2022:-

In august of this year he made the proud moment for India by defeating the number 1 rank United States in the 44th chess olympiad with a score of 8/8. After a few months of this in September, He reached the FIDE rating of 2700 for the first time which made him the third youngest player to reach this score after Wei Yi and Alireza Firouzja.

Creating history in october, he became the youngest player to beat Magnus Carlsen, world’s number 1 player.

2023:-

In the month of february he participated in the first edition of WR master tournaments in Dusseldorf where he achieved the second position after Livon Aronian. After a few months Gukesh became the youngest player ever to reach the highest FIDE rating above 2700 that is 2750. After which he participated in the chess world cup and reached the quarter finals as he was defeated by Magnus Carlsen.

Month of September in this year was also very remarkable for Gukesh as he leaves the master player of India Vishwanathan Anand behind which was marked as the first time in 37 years that someone has surpassed the master Anand.

2024:-

He participated in candidates tournaments which were held in the month of april. Gukesh won the game against his countrymen Rameshbabu Pragganandha and Vidit Gujrathi.

Gukesh’s loss was only with white against Alireza Firouzja . Later he managed to get the score of 9/14 winning the tournament which resulted in qualifying for the 2024 world chess championship match against Ding Liren.

Another history was created by a young grandmaster by becoming the youngest winner of a chess candidate tournament and the youngest player to qualify in the world chess championship.

2025:-

Gukesh vs Carlsen

The latest classical showdowns between D. Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen went down at Norway Chess 2025, which just wrapped up earlier this June. And let’s just say—it was anything but boring.

Here’s how it played out:

• Round 1:

Carlsen came in swinging and took the win. He pulled off what commentators called a “stunning king hunt”—a dramatic, high-stakes attack that ended with Gukesh’s king getting chased off the board. Classic Carlsen brilliance.

• Round 6:

Plot twist! Gukesh struck back with his first-ever classical win against Magnus. The game was wild—Carlsen had the upper hand almost the entire time. But in a chaotic time scramble, he slipped. Gukesh pounced on the opportunity and flipped the game on its head. Carlsen reportedly slammed the table after the loss, and yep, that clip went viral in no time. The tension was real. This big feat is an add-on in Gukesh biography.

So, what does this all mean?

• A Big Win for Gukesh:

This win is a major breakthrough. Until now, his classical record against Carlsen was 0 wins, 1 loss, and 3 draws. Now? They’re tied at 1-1 (with 3 draws). For Gukesh, the current World Champion, it’s more than just a stat—it’s a confidence booster. He has shown he can take down the world’s #1 in classical chess.

• Carlsen’s Reaction Says It All:

Magnus may not have loved the loss, but it showed just how invested he still is. Losing from a winning position, especially to a rising star like Gukesh, clearly stung. His reaction made it clear—he’s still as fiery as ever.

What’s Next?

Despite that round 6 slip-up, Carlsen bounced back like a champ. He went on to win the tournament overall. Every Gukesh-Carlsen match from here on out is going to be a must-watch chess. Gukesh holds the World Champion title, while Carlsen still reigns as world number one in the ratings and remains the GOAT in many eyes. When these two sit across the board, sparks are guaranteed.

Conclusion

Gukesh D spent countless hours working on his chess strategies and gaining more and more knowledge related to chess which resulted in the boost in his rating from 1291 to 2750 also with his consistency and constant dedication he acquired the position of youngest player to reach the world chess championship. He is the best motivation to youth of this generation that one can achieve anything in their life just by dedication, belief and having faith in yourself.

Even Parents’ support is one of the most important pillars in the building of success just like Gukesh’s parents who sacrifices everything for his success and always motivates him to achieve his goals no matter what the situation is.