Chess Year 2024: A Historic Year for Indian Chess (and Some Surprises Along the Way)
2024 will forever be remembered as a year when youthful talent reigned supreme and Indian chess firmly planted its flag on the global stage. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing—there were surprises, drama, and enough twists to make a soap opera jealous. Let’s revisit the highlights of this unforgettable chess year.
Gukesh: The Youngest Chess World Champion in History
The headline story of 2024 was undoubtedly 18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju becoming the youngest undisputed chess world champion ever. Yes, that’s right—ever. In a nail-biting final in Singapore, Gukesh defeated reigning world champion Ding Liren with a score of 7.5-6.5.
With his victory, Gukesh broke Garry Kasparov’s long-standing record of becoming world champion at 22. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, he did it with the calmness of someone deciding what topping to order on their pizza. His victory wasn’t just a personal milestone but a testament to India’s growing dominance in the chess world, spearheaded by the legendary Viswanathan Anand and his academy.
Murzin Shocks the World in Rapid Chess
While Gukesh grabbed the world championship title, 18-year-old Volodar Murzin of Russia stole the show at the World Rapid Chess Championship. With an undefeated score of 10/13, Murzin proved that even the established greats like Fabiano Caruana can have a bad day at the office.
Murzin’s win was as unexpected as a pawn promotion to a knight. At just 18, he became the second-youngest rapid world champion ever, following Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who won at 17 in 2021. Murzin’s victory serves as a loud and clear message: the future of chess is here, and it’s fearless.
Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi: Sharing is Caring
In perhaps the most “2024” moment of the year, Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi decided to share the World Blitz Chess Championship title. After an intense final that ended 3.5-3.5 following three tiebreak games, Carlsen proposed splitting the title. Nepo, likely imagining a New Year’s Eve without another 12 hours of blitz games, agreed.
This marked Carlsen’s eighth blitz title and Nepomniachtchi’s first. It also marked the first time in history that the blitz title was shared, leaving fans and critics alike scratching their heads. Some praised the sportsmanship, while others (looking at you, Hans Niemann) declared the chess world “a joke.” Love it or hate it, it’s a moment we’ll be talking about for years.
India Dominates the Chess Olympiad
India capped off a historic year by winning double gold at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, taking home the top prize in both the Open and Women’s sections. The Open team—led by Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi, Gujrathi, and Harikrishna—dominated from start to finish, with Gukesh and Erigaisi also bagging individual gold medals.
The Women’s team, featuring Harika, Vaishali, Deshmukh, Agrawal, and Sachdev, showed incredible resilience by winning their final round against Azerbaijan to secure the gold. It was the first time India achieved double gold at the Olympiad, firmly establishing the country as a chess superpower.
Why 2024 Was a Game-Changer
From record-breaking performances to historic compromises, 2024 was a year where chess evolved in ways we never expected. India’s rise to dominance, the emergence of fearless young talents like Gukesh and Murzin, and the drama of the blitz world championship showed us that chess is as dynamic as ever.
The future of chess looks bright—and possibly unpredictable. Will 2025 bring another shared world title? Will Hans Niemann calm down? Only time will tell. One thing is for sure: chess fans have a lot to look forward to.
So, what can we learn from 2024?
- India is now a chess powerhouse—get used to it.
- Youth is driving the game forward, and it’s terrifyingly good at it.
- Even in a game as structured as chess, surprises are always around the corner.
Here’s to 2025—may it bring more drama, brilliance, and maybe a little less sharing!
