“Gukesh is a difficult opponent to face” - Ding Liren ahead of facing the Indian teenager in World Chess Championship

India’s 17-year-old Grandmaster Gukesh D created history after becoming the youngest-ever winner at FIDE Candidates 2024, booking a meeting with the reigning champion Ding Liren, who is currently ranked seventh, for the World Chess Championship title.

In a marathon final round lasting nearly six hours, grandmaster Fabiano Caruana was in winning positions multiple times against Ian Nepomianchtchi but ultimately settled for a draw, leading to tiebreaks. Meanwhile, Gukesh’s draw against Hikaru Nakamura helped the Indian clinch the title.

Talking about the Indian GM, Chinese Grandmaster Ding Liren stated that the Indian teenager is a tough opponent to face despite his advantage in classical chess.

"He has a maturity that doesn't match his age and he has his own unique understanding of the position. Although I have the advantage in classical chess, he is a difficult opponent to face," Ding Liren told chess.com.

Gukesh D recorded five wins in Candidates 2024

The 17-year-old secured five wins, and eight draws, suffering only one loss, and amassing a winning tally of nine points. He looked exceptional throughout the competition.

He went on to become the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to qualify for the World Championship. Also, he was the second youngest participant in the Candidates in history, after Bobby Fischer.

Meanwhile, Tan Zhongyi won the 2024 FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament by a 1.5-point margin after maintaining a lead throughout the campaign. Zhongyi will challenge China's Wenjun Ju for the Women's World Championship.

Praggnanandhaa settled for the fifth position in the final updated standings with seven points while Vidit Gujrathi racked up six points to end in the sixth slot.

Koneru Humpy finished her campaign with a win over Lei Tingjie in the final round. Meanwhile, Vaishali secured a win over Kateryna Lagno. Humpy propelled to the second spot with 7.5 points in the final standings while Vaishali R settled for the fourth slot with 7.5 points.

After Gukesh’s win, Carlsen disclosed that the Indian teenager had approached him at the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge chess event in Germany in February 2024 to seek much-needed advice.