"This feels surreal" , "Dawn of new era in Indian chess" - Netizens react as Gukesh D clinches 2024 Candidates title

India's 17-year-old chess prodigy, Gukesh D, has just made history as the youngest person ever to be crowned champion of the Candidates tournament and fans are overjoyed for the player. This feat also makes him the youngest contender at the World Chess Championships.

Playing Hikaru Nakamura in the final round, the two came to a draw, and it looked like Gukesh would be forced into a tie-breaker. However, a draw between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana a couple of feet over ensured that the Indian would now get to challenge China's Ding Liren at the World Chess Championships.

Reacting to this news, Indian chess enthusiasts couldn't have been happier. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) was in awe of Gukesh D, writing:

“This is surreal.”

Another fan chimed in to say that this marks a new beginning for Indian chess,

“Dawn of a new era in Indian chess.”

Check out a few more reactions from fans below:

“Totally unexpected, well done youngster. You showed the mental strength of a champion,” one fan wrote.

“Insane. What a tournament. So many brilliant performances. Have to say, Gukesh beating such monsters like Fabi, Nepo and Hikaru cannot be an accident. He has shown incredible skill, consistency and maturity,” another added.

“A phenomenal player with an insane precision and calmness. It's hard to believe he is just 17. Congrats! 🇮🇳❤️,” one netizen expressed.

“Gukesh D has become the youngest ever to become the world championship challenger at the age of 17! He can't vote, but he could be the next world champion,” yet another added.

Vishwanath Anand congratulates Gukesh D

Meanwhile, fans and netizens weren't the only ones awed by Gukesh D’s impressive feat. Five-time World Champion and Indian chess legend, Vishwanath Anand, was quick to extend his congratulations to the youngster.

Taking to X, the 54-year-old praised the youngster’s ability to navigate tricky situations and encouraged him to enjoy and soak in all of his success.

“Congratulations to @DGukesh for becoming the youngest challenger. The @WacaChess family is so proud of what you have done . I’m personally very proud of how you played and handled tough situations. Enjoy the moment”

Gukesh D will now head to the 2024 World Chess Championships, where he will challenge reigning champion Ding Liren. The 31-year-old is the highest-rated Chinese chess player, and will pose quite a challenge for the Indian. The two will battle each other over the course of 14 games to see who is crowned the 2024 World Chess Champion.