Gukesh Dommaraju, the youngest undisputed world champion, scored a historic career victory. In a thrilling round six upset at Norway’s 2019 Altibox Tournament, the 16-year-old shocked the chess world by taking down five time world champion Magnus Carlsen. This victory was Gukesh’s first classical win against Carlsen and it set up a few intriguing stories. He now stands at 8½ points, placing him in position to win the tournament and only one full point behind current tournament leaders Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.
On a personal level, last Thursday was Gukesh’s 19th birthday, bringing additional historical significance to his achievement. He won the world title in December, but he’s had a hard time with consistency since. This recent victory — quite possibly the biggest result of his young career — comes at a critical moment. Gukesh’s strategic prowess shone through as he defended doggedly during the match and capitalized on a rare blunder from Carlsen during time trouble.
With four rounds remaining to play in the event, Gukesh’s victory has completely re-ordered the standings of the tournament. His capacity to turn the tide with a calculated counterstrike not only showed his tactical brilliance but his ability to withstand adversity. Carlsen, after the game, resigned almost immediately once he saw his blunder. Slamming his fist down on his desk in frustration,
Gukesh reflected on the significance of his victory, stating, “Right now, what means the most to me is that I didn’t lose the game.” He acknowledged the weight of defeating such a formidable opponent, saying, “Yes, beating Magnus in any form is special.”
Even more than the short but brilliant finish, Gukesh’s coach, Grzegorz Gajewski, was proud of his student’s tenacity as shown during the entire game. “We might say that’s fortunate,” Gajewski commented. “We have to give a lot of credit to Guki for his stubbornness and for his resourcefulness.” These attributes were key when Gukesh was given the opportunity to strike when the moment came.
That match brought their all-time head to head record in this competition even at 4-4. It served as a reminder of Gukesh’s own emergence as a future dominant force in chess. He’s generating tremendous grassroots enthusiasm. The chess world is on fire wondering how he can sustain it in the other 14 rounds.