Gukesh held Hikaru Nakamura to a draw in Round 14 to secure his title win
With this, Gukesh became the second Indian to qualify for the World Championship final, after Viswanathan Anand
Gukesh entered the 2024 Candidates as the third youngest player in the competition, after Magnus Carlsen and Bobby Fischer
Gukesh started steadily, gaining two wins and four draws out of his first six matches to stay among the leading pack
Gukesh suffered a morale-sapping defeat in Round 7 to Alireza Firouzja, which threatened to derail his title hopes
But Gukesh bounced back with a win against compatriot Vidit Gujrathi in Round 8
Gukesh added two more wins in Round 12 and 13, against Nijat Abasov and Firouzja respectively, to put himself in prime position to win the title.
Despite the immense pressure he was under, Gukesh eked out a draw in the final round against Nakamura to secure his spot in the World Championship final
With this title win at Candidates 2024, Gukesh has earned a spot in the World Chess Championship final
In the World Championship final, slated for later this year, Gukesh will take on China’s Ding Liren
If he surpasses Liren in the final, Gukesh will become the youngest World Chess Champion in the history of the sport