Abhimanyu Mishra is in the headlines for creating history. He became the youngest Grandmaster at the age of 16 to defeat a world champion and broke a long-standing record of 33 years. The record was held by Grandmaster Gata Kamsky for more than three decades after he beat then-world champion Garry Kasparov. But the main story isn’t just about a historic win, it’s about a 16-year-old genius fearlessly declaring, “I’m at par with them,” and shaking up chess royalty.
Defining the Battle: Abhimanyu Mishra vs. Gukesh D
It wasn’t just any ordinary match in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This was the clash of two of the world’s youngest icons. On one side, Gukesh, the reigning world champion, and on the other, Mishra, the world’s youngest Grandmaster, taught chess before most kids could spell their own name, refusing to be starstruck.
The match itself? “Wild” barely begins to describe it. Abhimanyu Mishra found himself in a tough spot after the opening, nearly throwing away a winning position, only for Gukesh to make critical mistakes in a tense time scramble. Sixty-one moves, countless heartbeats, and suddenly, a record shatters: Mishra becomes the youngest ever to defeat a sitting world champion in classical chess.
Abhimanyu Mishra’s Mindset: “I’m Not Inferior”
Most would expect a victory like this to bring euphoria. Not Abhimanyu Mishra. He said, “Honestly, I would much prefer the game that I have won before. Like my game against Yu Yangyi was so much better than this because even though I won, it doesn’t feel as pleasing as my previous games in the tournament, as I had the winning position and I basically just threw it away. And later he made some mistakes and I got back, but overall, it wasn’t a very clean game.”
And to think this wasn’t his only achievement in the tournament. He even defeated the young Indian chess sensation, R. Praggnanandhaa, in round 4 in a losing position. You’d expect a child to feel some level of insecurity against giants like Gukesh and Pragg, but that’s not the case with Abhimanyu Mishra. He further added, “But the tournament is going better than I could have possibly imagined.”
“If I keep up this form, I have a very real chance of winning the tournament. Yesterday, too, I made some errors against Pragg. But I never felt like I was inferior to these players (Gukesh and Pragg). I think I am at par with them,” he added.
What does Abhimanyu Mishra’s win mean for chess? We’re witnessing a new breed of fearless grandmasters. Gukesh and Pragg aren’t alone at the summit anymore. Mishra has proved, not just by score but by swagger, that the youth revolution is real and that chess is not just a game anymore; it’s a global entertainment show where records are made to be shattered.
Also read: Abhimanyu Mishra Becomes The Youngest To Defeat World Champion
