Abhimanyu Mishra: The Youngest Grandmaster to Defeat World Champion Gukesh

Why it’s in the news:

• 16-year-old American chess player Abhimanyu Mishra made history at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025.
• He defeated the reigning World Champion D. Gukesh, becoming the youngest player to beat a world champion in classical chess.
• This achievement highlights his extraordinary talent, dedication, and early accomplishments.

Mishra defeats Gukesh:

• On 8 September 2025, in Round 5 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Mishra defeated 19-year-old World Champion D. Gukesh.
• The game lasted 61 moves, with Mishra capitalizing on Gukesh’s mistake in the 12th move.
• With this victory, Mishra broke Gata Kamsky’s 33-year-old record, who had defeated Garry Kasparov at the age of 17.

Early achievements and records:

• Youngest International Master (2019): Achieved the title at 10 years, 9 months, 20 days.
• Youngest Grandmaster (2021): Set the record in Budapest at 12 years, 4 months, 25 days, surpassing Sergei Karjakin’s 19-year-old record.
• Youngest player to defeat a reigning world champion (2025): Defeated D. Gukesh at 16 years of age.
• Coaches: Indian Grandmasters Arun Prasad Subramanian and Magesh Chandran.

Current status:

• FIDE Classical Rating: 2611
• Live Rating (Grand Swiss 2025): 2637.2
• World Ranking (Live): 94th, entering the top 100 for the first time.