Last Updated:
Abhimanyu Mishra shocked world champion D Gukesh in the fifth round of the ongoing FIDE Grand Swiss.
Abhimanyu Mishra (left) and D Gukesh during their round five clash. (Screengrab/FIDE)
Abhimanyu Mishra has created history by becoming the youngest ever player in history to defeat a reigning champion in a game of classical chess. The 16-year-old American defeated current world champion D Gukesh in the round five of the ongoing FIDE Grand Swiss on Monday.
Mishra is already the youngest ever player to beat a grandmaster in chess history.
Gukesh’s trouble began following his 12th move having pushed his g pawn to g4. It was an Italian opening wherein Mishra caught his illustrious opponent off-guard and a piece sacrifice by the American from Indian origin had Gukesh under deep troubles in the early middle game.
With resourceful play, Gukesh walked out of the attack nearly unscathed, but the position demanded very precise play even in the endgame. Mishra scored his biggest victory in 61 moves.
It may have been the biggest win of his career, but Mishra seems not satisfied with the performance.
“Even though I won, it doesn’t feel as pleasing as my previous games in the tournament. It wasn’t a very clean game,” Mishra told FIDE following his victory. “But the tournament is going better than I could have possibly imagined. If I keep up this form I have a very real chance of winning the tournament. Yesterday too, I made some errors against Pragg. But I never felt like I was inferior to these players (Gukesh and Pragg). I think I am at par with them.”
Praggnanandhaa Stunned
It was an off-day for Gukesh’s countryman R Praggnanandhaa too as he endured a shocking defeat to Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum.
Praggnanandhaa opted for an unconventional opening with black against the Queen’s pawn, maintaining a balanced position for a considerable time. However, a miscalculation in the minor piece endgame proved costly for the Indian player, leading to a loss of a pawn. Bluebaum capitalized on this opportunity and secured victory, concluding the game in 55 moves.
With PTI Inputs
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
September 09, 2025, 08:54 IST
Read More
