In a thrilling conclusion, 18-year-old D. Gukesh defeated Ding Liren of China to become the youngest World Chess Champion in history in 2024. The title of World Chess Champion is both a significant and prestigious achievement, and while many brilliant minds have graced the chess world, only a few have earned their place in the spotlight at such a young age.
Here are the five youngest World Chess Champions in history:
Gukesh Dommaraju (India)
In a dramatic finale, 18-year-old D. Gukesh dethroned China’s Ding Liren to become the youngest World Chess Champion in 2024. Gukesh began his chess journey at the age of 7, and achieved his first success in 2015 at the Under-9 category of the Asian School Chess Championships.
However, 2023 was a standout year for Gukesh, as he became the youngest player to reach a rating of 2750. That same year, he surpassed Viswanathan Anand to become the top-ranked Indian chess player and led India to its first-ever Chess Olympiad gold.
Garry Kasparov (Russia)
Garry Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion at the age of 22 when he defeated Anatoly Karpov in 1985. He began playing chess at 6 and achieved the title of international grandmaster by the age of 17 in 1980, under the mentorship of former world champion Mikhail Botvinnik. In 1996, Kasparov famously defeated an IBM-built chess computer, Deep Blue. However, after an upgrade in 1997, the machine triumphed over him. Kasparov retired from competitive chess in 2005.
In addition to his chess career, Kasparov became politically active, founding the United Civil Front to oppose Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
Magnus Carlsen is a chess sensation who became the highest-rated player at just 19 years old. He holds the record for the highest Elo rating ever achieved by a human player—2882. Carlsen was taught how to play chess by his father at the age of 5.
He made history in 2013 by winning the FIDE World Chess Championship at the age of 22. At just 13, Carlsen drew with Garry Kasparov and defeated Anatoly Karpov at the same event in 2004.
Mikhail Tal (Latvia-Soviet Union)
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Mikhail Tal became a national master at the age of 16 and earned the title of international grandmaster at 20. In 1960, at just 23 years old, he made history by becoming the youngest World Chess Champion, with his victory over Mikhail Botvinnik still regarded as a pivotal moment in chess history.
Anatoly Karpov (Russia)
Anatoly Karpov began learning chess at the age of four and became the World Champion in 1975 at the age of 23. With an Elo rating of 2780, he held the highest rating for 100 months. Later, he transitioned into politics and served as a member of the State Duma, representing Tyumen Oblast’s Party List.
