At just 16, American chess player Abhimanyu Mishra made headlines by defeating reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a dramatic 61-move game during the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss held in Samarkand. This impressive victory followed his strong performance the previous day, when he held top seed R Praggnanandhaa to a draw with the black pieces. Already known as the youngest grandmaster in history, Mishra’s achievement marks a historic milestone, making him the youngest player ever to defeat a reigning world champion.
The youngest Chess player to become a Grandmaster defeats the youngest World Chess Champion! Grandmaster Abhimanyu @ChessMishra takes down the World Champion D Gukesh in a wild encounter in the 5th round of FIDE Grand Swiss 2025.
Abhimanyu created an excellent position out of… pic.twitter.com/zFYZlvv349
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) September 8, 2025
Who is Abhimanyu Mishra?
Abhimanyu Mishra, born on 5 February 2009 in New Jersey, earned the grandmaster title in 2021 at the age of 12, becoming the youngest player to achieve this distinction. Introduced to chess by his father at two and a half, Mishra has set multiple records, including the youngest International Master and the youngest player to reach key US Chess Federation rating milestones. Now rated over 2610 and placed within the FIDE top 100, he has established himself as a rising star capable of competing with the world’s elite.
Mishra Defeats Gukesh
On 8 September 2025, Abhimanyu Mishra faced World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the fifth round of the Grand Swiss. After a tense 61-move encounter, Mishra secured a historic victory, becoming the youngest player to defeat a reigning world champion. Coming just a day after drawing with top seed R Praggnanandhaa, this result strengthened his position among the tournament leaders and underlined his potential as a strong contender in the world chess championship cycle.
“I don’t think I was a huge underdog, considering that I drew against Pragg with Black.”
— @ChessMishra, after beating 🇮🇳Gukesh pic.twitter.com/9aTS1fXEQt
— Take Take Take (@TakeTakeTakeApp) September 8, 2025
