Reigning world chess champion GM Gukesh Dommaraju suffered a shock defeat at the FIDE Grand Swiss after being outplayed by 16-year-old American prodigy GM Abhimanyu Mishra in a marathon fifth-round encounter. The result marks one of the most significant upsets of the tournament and further dents the aura of invincibility around the 19-year-old champion.
Mishra, born in New Jersey to Indian parents, already holds the distinction of becoming the youngest-ever grandmaster at just 12 years and four months. With his latest triumph, he set yet another record — the youngest player to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess. The previous record belonged to Gata Kamsky, who had beaten Garry Kasparov in 1992 at the age of 18.
Despite not being obligated to participate in the event, Gukesh chose to play at the Grand Swiss to challenge himself against the strongest competition. After starting confidently with two wins and two draws, his campaign hit a stumbling block against the spirited Mishra.
Playing White, the 2611-rated Mishra opted for the Giuoco Pianissimo. His bold 12.dxe5 sacrifice unsettled Gukesh, who spent over 20 minutes before responding with the ill-fated 12…g4. Mishra then advanced his c-pawn to the seventh rank, tying down Black’s pieces and seizing the initiative.
The world champion fought back bravely, with his clever 19…Kd7 momentarily shifting the momentum. Mishra later admitted he “panicked” at this stage and even feared losing his grip on the game. However, despite occasional inaccuracies, the teenager held his nerve through a tense middle-game phase.
The decisive moment came in the late stages, where Mishra’s rook maneuvering and the relentless push of his g-pawn proved too much for Gukesh to handle. After nearly six hours of play and 61 moves, the Indian champion was forced to resign.
Reflecting on the victory, Mishra said:
“I just decided to trust my instincts today. Whether it’s the world champion or anyone else, if I think a move is best, I’ll play it. This is going better than I could have imagined. I feel I belong at this level.”
For Gukesh, the defeat is symbolic, suggesting that his challengers are growing bolder in targeting him. For Mishra, it is another landmark in a career that already carries historic achievements — and perhaps a sign of much greater things to come.
