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Indian American teen scripts chess history with win over Gukesh
The New Jersey teen earlier created history as the world’s youngest grandmaster
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Bhavana P - Wed, 10, Sep 2025
- 12:47 EDT
- 22
Abhimanyu Mishra / Kids Guinness World Records
Indian-American grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra created history on Sept. 8 by defeating reigning world champion D. Gukesh in the fifth round of the FIDE Grand Swiss in Uzbekistan.
16 year-old Mishra became the youngest player ever to beat a sitting world champion in classical chess, surpassing a record that had stood since 1991.
Also read: British Indian chess prodigy becomes youngest to beat Grandmaster
Mishra, playing with the white pieces, capitalized on a critical error by Gukesh on the 12th move, when the 19-year-old champion pushed his pawn to g4. The miscalculation handed Mishra an early advantage, which he consolidated with precise play.
Despite Gukesh’s efforts to mount a comeback, Mishra maintained control throughout and forced resignation after 61 moves. The result eclipsed GM Gata Kamsky’s 1991 victory over Garry Kasparov, when he was 17, making Mishra’s feat all the more extraordinary.
The game drew significant attention within the tournament hall, with several leading grandmasters, including Ian Nepomniachtchi and Vasyl Ivanchuk, pausing their own matches to follow the encounter. Commentator Judit Polgar described Gukesh’s early pawn push as “difficult to justify,” while praising Mishra’s composure under pressure.
For Gukesh, who last year became the youngest-ever FIDE Candidates winner at 17 and the youngest world champion at 18, the loss was a rare reminder that even the very best can falter.
Born in New Jersey to parents of Indian origin, Mishra has been breaking records since childhood. He became the world’s youngest grandmaster in 2021 at just 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days.
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