17-year-old Indian makes history

After 14 gruelling rounds, India’s D Gukesh has emerged as the candidate for the World Championship match. 

It was a journey filled with ups and downs, a couple of assists along the way from his fellow countrymen, and a turning point that could have actually been a morale-crushing moment. 

With FIDE pairing up compatriots in the early rounds to avoid any possibilities of a collusion, Gukesh began his tournament with a 21-move draw against Vidit Gujrathi. It was a day when 7 out of the 8 matches ended in a draw. 

It was another all-India clash for Gukesh next and this time he forced Pragg to resign after 33 moves. 

And in hindsight, a significant result elsewhere as Vidit Gujrathi, playing with black pieces, ended Nakamura’s 47-game unbeaten streak.