The rise of Gukesh, episode one

Gukesh Dommaraju is the biggest chess sensation of the year. The young prodigy from Chennai, winner of the Candidates Tournament and the brightest star at India's first Chess Olympiad victory, has a good chance of ending 2024 with the World Champion crown on his head. His rise to the top has been so rapid that it has caught many fans by surprise. Despite already enjoying the status of a sports legend in India, he remains relatively unknown to the general public. In light of this, as a prelude to his upcoming match against Ding Liren in Singapore, we’ve invited GM Alex Colovic to guide us through Gukesh’s career, from his early achievements to his first encounters with the top players of the chess world. “This series is intended as an analysis of Gukesh’s games at various stages of his career. It’s an exceptional career, characterized above all by extraordinary talent, but also shaped by hard work and determination,” says author Colovic. In this first chapter, we analyze his decisive victory in the penultimate round of the Candidates tournament due to his historical importance. Then, we will flashback in subsequent videos to his early years. How did he take up chess? Who were his first mentors? How had the biggest influence on his development as a sportsperson? These are some of the questions we will try to answer.

We hope you enjoy it!