India, Dec. 15 -- D Gukesh made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest world chess champion ever. The 18-year-old Indian grandmaster took down the reigning champion, Ding Liren, in the crucial Game 14 to secure the title. After his victory, Gukesh humbly stated that even though he won the championship, he still doesn’t consider himself the best player in the world and openly challenged Magnus Carlsen.

"Winning the World Chess Championship doesn’t mean I’m the best player; that title belongs to Magnus Carlsen. I aspire to reach the level he’s at," he mentioned.

"Competing against Magnus in the world championship would be incredible; it would be the ultimate challenge in chess. It’s up to Magnus, but I’d really like to see how I measure up against the best."

However, Carlsen dismissed the idea during a popular recap stream of the match, saying, "I’m not part of this circus anymore."

The Norwegian chose not to defend his title in 2023.

In a chat with FIDE, Gukesh was asked if he was planning to challenge Carlsen for a championship. He replied, "I think it's pretty clear by now that Magnus has said he doesn't really enjoy this format or the whole process of the world championship and its preparation. But as a chess fan and someone looking to improve, I would absolutely love it if Magnus decided to come back."

He continued, "It would be, without a doubt, the biggest challenge I could face as both a chess fan and a player aiming to get better. If Magnus returns, that would be amazing because he’s clearly the best and probably the greatest of all time."

Gukesh clinched the Candidates tournament in April, earning a shot at the world championship against China's Ding Liren. The match was tightly contested and went to a decisive Game 14. In that final game, Liren pushed hard for a tiebreaker, but a huge blunder on his 55th move handed the title to Gukesh.

Read Also: Gukesh's victory is expected to inspire many young kids in India to pursue professional chess, says the AICF.

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