World Champion Gukesh Goes Down to the Youngest-Ever GM

In a breathtaking upset, American teenager Abhimanyu Mishra, the youngest-ever Grandmaster, defeated reigning World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in Round 5 of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

At 16, Mishra didn’t just record his best classical victory but also became the youngest player to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess, eclipsing a record set at 17. The 61-move game saw Mishra’s brilliant understanding of the imbalanced Italian opening position that arrived after 12 moves. Playing White, Abhimanyu answered Gukesh’s ambitious kingside push with a piece sacrifice for three pawns in the Giuoco Pianissimo. Gukesh’s bold 9…g5 and 12…g4, refusing to play a symmetrical structure, overextended his position, a decision that backfired. Mishra’s knight sacrifice on move 12 created a dangerous passed pawn which gave him a decisive advantage. After a few hiccups and Gukesh denying a chance to simplify the game under time pressure, Mishra pounced with his chance, simplifying to a winning rook endgame, which the teenager surgically executed!

This win marks a breakout for Mishra in the FIDE Grand Swiss, where his unbeaten streak and 2 massive wins against super GMs have propelled his live rating past 2642, ranking him World No. 85*. Mishra’s confidence—“I didn’t feel inferior to Gukesh, Pragg”—reflects his rise. Abhimanyu is currently leading the chasing pack of players, with the likes of Erigaisi, at 4/5 points, in joint #2 position, almost halfway through the event.