Gukesh displaces Viswanathan Anand to become India's top-ranked chess player
17-year-old Grandmaster D Gukesh has overtaken the legendary Viswanathan Anand to become India's top-ranked chess player. As per the current live rating in Classic Chess, Gukesh's tally reads 2755.9 while Anand's is at 2754.0. Gukesh went to the pinnacle position after defeating Azerbaijani Grandmaster Misratdin Iskandarov at the FIDE World Cup. The Indian sensation has now qualified for the third round. Here's more.
Stellar win over Iskandarov
Gukesh showcased his brilliance in the second round of the FIDE World Cup as he outclassed Iskandarov in just 44 moves. The triumph earned him 2.5 International Chess Federation (FIDE) points. He consequently went past his idol Anand. In the overall world live rankings, Gukesh has advanced to the ninth position while Anand has slipped to the 10th spot.
Anand's 36-year-long stay comes to an end
Gukesh's feat is indeed historic as Anand had been India's highest-ranked player since January 1987. Hence, his 36-year-long stay at the top has come to an end. Notably, the next official FIDE rating list will release on September 1. If Gukesh maintains his lead, he would become the first Indian to surpass Anand in the FIDE world rankings since Pravin Thipsay in July 1986.
Gukesh to meet Narayanan
Gukesh would be determined to extend his purple patch as he faces compatriot S L Narayanan in the third round of the tournament. GM R Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin, D Harika, and R Vaishali are among the other Indians to advance to the third round. GM B Adhiban was eliminated from the competition after losing to Daniil Dubov.
Anand has been my idol since childhood: Gukesh
Gukesh had earlier revealed that he idolizes Anand since childhood. "Anand sir has been my idol since the time I started playing chess. He's one of the prominent reasons why I started playing," he told The Indian Express. "Without him, this success (for Indian chess players) would not be possible. So no matter what, he will always be the greatest Indian chess player."
