It's "the Indian earthquake in Toronto", said Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov as he lauded teen Grandmaster D. Gukesh for becoming the youngest ever challenger for the world title, a triumph which marks the "shifting tectonic plates" in the game's global order.
The 17-year-old Gukesh bettered the record created by none other than Kasparov 40 years ago. The Russian was 22 when he qualified in 1984 to clash with compatriot Anatoly Karpov, making him the youngest challenger of that time.
"Congratulations! The Indian earthquake in Toronto is the culmination of the shifting tectonic plates in the chess world as the 17 year old Gukesh D will face the Chinese champion Ding Liren for the highest title," wrote Kasparov on 'X', obliquely referring to the Russian domination of the past.
