Abhimanyu Mishra has done it. This 16-year-old American teenager is all over the news for a record that’s been standing strong for 33 years. The moment came on the fifth day of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, where he faced the current world champion, Gukesh D. After a hard-fought battle, he successfully defeated Gukesh D, and forever etched his name in history by becoming the youngest Grandmaster ever to defeat a World Champion at the age of 16.
Abhimanyu Mishra Creates History
The sixteen-year-old Grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra’s victory over World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the fifth round of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss sent tremors through the chess world. Not only did he claim the win with the white pieces, but he also shattered a 33-year-old record, becoming the youngest player ever to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess.
The record was held by Grandmaster Gata Kamsky 33 years ago when he defeated Garry Kasparov in Dortmund.
The match itself was anything but ordinary. Abhimanyu Mishra’s Italian opening steered into Giuoco Pianissimo, promising quiet play. But on move 12, Mishra sacrificed a pawn and forced Gukesh to blunder with a rare g4 push, turning the tide in Mishra’s favour. Was Mishra fazed by his famous opponent or the gravity of the record? Absolutely not. “Whether it’s Gukesh, the world champion, or anybody else, if I think a move is best, I’m going to play it,” Mishra said after the game, a true testament to the kind of mentality that moves mountains.
Abhimanyu Mishra’s win over Gukesh isn’t just a headline; it’s a statement. It proves that age is just a number and legends can be toppled when heart, talent, and ambition collide. Chess fans have been gifted another story for the ages, and Mishra’s journey has only just hit another gear. Get ready, the next big twist in chess could come sooner than anyone thinks.
Also read: Who Is Karthikeyan Murali? Another Indian Rising Star In Chess
