India, Feb. 21 -- D Gukesh scripted history in December last year, when he became the youngest-ever world chess champion. The 18-year-old achieved the feat by defeating defending champion Ding Liren in Singapore. It was a massive blunder from Liren in the decisive game which saw Gukesh seal his win, and it sent social media into a state of frenzy as fans and chess legends congratulated the Indian GM.

After the victory, Gukesh skipped the year-ending World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York, which was riddled with controversies. He returned to action in Wijk aan Zee for the Tata Masters in January, and lost to R Praggnanandhaa in the title-deciding tie-breaker. Despite his defeat, his stunning run saw him climb to India No. 1, topp...