Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh suffered a shocking defeat on Monday when Abhimanyu Mishra, a 16-year-old American Grandmaster, defeated him in the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Gukesh, the youngest-ever world chess champion, was beaten in 61 moves while playing with the black pieces during Round 5. With this win, Mishra broke a 33-year-old record set by Gata Kamsky, who was 17 when he defeated then-world champion Garry Kasparov in Dortmund in 1991.

Mishra Downplays His Historic Victory

Despite achieving a milestone victory, Mishra remained calm and even slightly critical of his own performance. He admitted that the game was far from perfect and credited Gukesh’s mistakes for the outcome.

“Honestly, I would much prefer the game that I have won before,” Mishra told FIDE after his historic win. “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.”

Strong Performance Throughout the Tournament

This was not Mishra’s first impressive showing in the tournament. In Round 4, he fought back from a losing position with black pieces to draw against another Indian star, R Praggnanandhaa.

The young American expressed confidence about his form and said he does not feel intimidated by top players like Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa.

“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,” Mishra said.
“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.”

This victory is a breakthrough moment for Mishra, who has been striving to regain momentum since becoming the world’s youngest Grandmaster at 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days in 2021.

Key Moment in the Match

The turning point came early in the game when Gukesh made a critical mistake on move 12, playing g4 instead of the stronger h4. This left him in a weaker position, which Mishra gradually exploited to claim victory.

Gukesh’s second major error occurred on move 36, when he blundered with Ne2+ instead of Rd3, which gave Mishra a decisive advantage.

Final Moves of the Game

Here are the last moves that sealed Gukesh’s defeat:

• 59. g7 Rb4+

• 60. Kc3 Rc4+

• 61. Kb3

Mishra’s precise endgame play ensured that Gukesh had no way back, completing a stunning upset and etching his name in chess history.

A New Chapter in Chess Rivalries

Mishra’s win adds a new chapter to the growing rivalry among the next generation of chess superstars. With this victory, the young American has not only made history but also positioned himself as a serious contender for the Grand Swiss title.

Gukesh, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly as the tournament enters its decisive rounds. This loss serves as a reminder of the intense competition at the highest level of chess.