D. Gukesh recently made history by becoming the youngest world chess champion at the age of 18. The Indian grandmaster accomplished this remarkable achievement by defeating the reigning champion, Ding Liren, during the World Chess Championship held in Singapore. Gukesh secured three victories compared to Liren's two, along with nine draws across the 14 classical rounds.

The competition between Gukesh and Liren was intense, culminating in a critical fourteenth game. Initially, it appeared that the game would end in a draw, as Liren sought to push for a tie-breaker.

However, a significant error by the Chinese grandmaster on the 55th move led to his resignation, resulting in Gukesh's victory. Despite claiming the world championship title, Gukesh is not currently the highest-ranked Indian chess player. Presently, he holds the fifth position in the global rankings, while Arjun Erigaisi is ranked fourth, making him the top-rated Indian player.

Consequently, Gukesh's triumph in Singapore sparked excitement among fans regarding a potential title match against Erigaisi. In a recent AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit, Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand commented on this possibility, stating, “There is a 5-10 per cent chance it can happen.”

Erigaisi had a remarkable 2024, winning the WR Chess Masters Cup, the Stepan Avagyan Memorial, and the Menorca Open. He also earned individual gold on board three at the Chess Olympiad, achieving ten points in 11 games. A chess prodigy, he attained the grandmaster title at the age of 14 years, 11 months, and 13 days. In September of this year, he became India’s highest-rated player, and in December, he reached a peak rating of 2801, making him the fifteenth-highest-rated player in history and the second Indian, after Anand, to surpass the 2800 rating.

Should Erigaisi challenge Gukesh for the world championship title, it would undoubtedly be an exciting event for chess enthusiasts.

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