The chess world witnessed a seismic moment at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, when 16-year-old American Grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra stunned reigning world champion D Gukesh in Round 5.

With this victory, Mishra became the youngest player ever to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess, breaking a 33-year-old record previously held by U.S. Grandmaster Gata Kamsky, who defeated Garry Kasparov at 17 in 1992.

The result not only shook the tournament but also cracked the aura of invincibility around Gukesh, who had entered the Grand Swiss despite having no need to qualify for the next Candidates. He wanted to test his form — and fate handed him a brutal reality check.

The Game: Abhimanyu vs Gukesh, Move by Move

Mishra, playing with the white pieces against Gukesh’s black, opened with the Giuoco Pianissimo — a seemingly quiet start that escalated into a fierce tactical battle.

The turning point came as early as the 12th move. Mishra sacrificed a pawn with 12. dxe5, a bold decision against a world champion. Gukesh, after spending 21 minutes, replied with the fatal 12… g4??, a move that proved decisive.

From there, Mishra gained the initiative, and his pawn thrusts, especially 14. dxc7, tied down Gukesh’s position. The teenager admitted he “panicked” at moments, particularly after his misstep with 20. Nd4??, which gave Gukesh counterplay. But the American held his nerve, capitalized on further errors, and guided his pawns and rooks with precision.

The game lasted 61 moves across nearly six hours, with Mishra’s relentless g-pawn march sealing Gukesh’s fate. The final position left no tricks for the world champion, forcing resignation.

Complete Move List of Mishra vs Gukesh

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 a6 7. O-O d6 8. c3 Ba7 9. Nbd2 g5 10. Bg3 Nh7 11. d4 h5

2. dxe5?! g4?? 13. exd6 gxf3 14. dxc7 Qe7 15. Nxf3 Bg4 16. h3 Be6 17. Bd6 Qd7 18. Bxe6 Qxe6 19. e5 Kd7

3. Nd4?? Bxd4 21. cxd4 Qd5 22. Qxh5 Nf6 23. Qf5+ Qe6 24. Qxe6+ fxe6 25. f4 Nd5 26. f5 exf5 27. Rxf5 Nxd4

4. Rf7+ Ke6 29. Raf1 Rhg8 30. g4 Nb5 31. Rh7 Rg6? 32. Rff7? Rc8 33. Rd7 Rh6 34. Rhg7 Rxh3 35. a4 Nd4

5. Bc5 Ne2+?? 37. Kf1 Nef4? 38. Bd4 Rf3+ 39. Ke1 Nd3+ 40. Kd2 Nxe5 41. Bxe5 Kxe5 42. Rg5+ Ke6 43. Rgxd5 Rb3

6. R7d6+ Ke7 45. Rd7+ Ke6 46. R5d6+ Ke5 47. Rd3 Rxb2+ 48. Kc1 Rh2 49. g5 Kf5 50. R3d5+ Ke6 51. R5d6+ Ke5

7. Rd2 Rh1+ 53. Kb2 Kf5 54. Rg7 Rhh8 55. Rf2+ Ke5 56. g6 Rh4 57. Rff7 b5 58. axb5 axb5 59. g7 Rb4+

8. Kc3 Rc4+ 61. Kb3

The win made Mishra not just victorious but immortal in chess history.

Breaking: GM Abhimanyu Mishra @ChessMishra takes down @FIDE_chess World Champion @DGukesh in R5 of the 2025 Grand Swiss in Uzbekistan.

Mishra improves to 4/5 against opponents all rated between 70 and 174 points higher than the New Jersey 16-year-old. Photo c FIDE/Michal Walusza https://t.co/P5zJ9qRCnv pic.twitter.com/TEuQ72ZlX5— US Chess (@USChess) September 8, 2025

Reactions: Records, Rivalries, and Respect

This loss marked Gukesh’s most painful defeat since becoming the youngest-ever world champion at 18 in 2024. The Indian prodigy had weathered criticism from rivals like Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who predicted Gukesh would soon lose his crown. Even former world champion Viswanathan Anand weighed in, defending Gukesh and calling such jabs part of modern “content-making.”

But against Mishra, there was no deflection. The champion’s aura cracked.

For Mishra, however, the victory felt “imperfect.” In his post-game comments, he revealed surprising humility:

“Honestly, I would much prefer the game that I have won before. Like my game against Yu Yangyi was so much better. Even though I won, it doesn’t feel as pleasing as my previous games. I had the winning position and I basically just threw it away. Later he made some mistakes and I got back, but overall, it wasn’t a very clean game.”

Despite downplaying the record, Mishra acknowledged that his confidence had soared:

“I never felt like I was really inferior to these players (Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa). I think I’m at par with even the top of the top.”

Who Is Abhimanyu Mishra? The Making of a Record-Breaker

Abhimanyu Mishra is no stranger to rewriting chess history.

• Youngest Grandmaster ever: Achieved the title at 12 years, 4 months, 25 days in 2021, breaking Sergey Karjakin’s 19-year-old record.

• Youngest International Master ever: Earned the IM title in 2019 at 10 years, 9 months, 20 days.

• Historic GM Norm: Secured his final GM norm by defeating Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca at the Vezerkepzo GM Mix in Budapest.

Born on February 5, 2009, in New Jersey, to parents Hemant and Swati Mishra, Abhimanyu was introduced to chess at just 2 years and 8 months. His father, originally from Bhopal, and mother from Agra, encouraged him to play chess instead of spending time on screens. By age 5, he was already competing in tournaments.

His rise has been guided by Indian Grandmasters Arun Prasad Subramanian and Magesh Chandran, who have carefully shaped his training.

At the time of his historic win against Gukesh, Mishra’s classical rating stood at 2611, but his live rating jumped to 2637.2, propelling him into the world’s top 100 (ranked 94th).

"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

What This Means for Chess

Mishra’s victory carries significance beyond the board.

• It proves the new generation of prodigies—Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, and Mishra—are reshaping modern chess.

• It highlights the razor-thin margins of elite play: one blunder (12… g4) can decide a six-hour battle.

• It fuels debates about the stability of Gukesh’s reign and the rise of challengers who are barely into their teens.

For Mishra, it’s both validation and motivation. For Gukesh, it’s a hard lesson — but also a chance to refine himself before defending his world crown.

The clash between Abhimanyu Mishra and D Gukesh at the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 will be remembered as a milestone in chess history. For Gukesh, it marked the shattering of his invincible aura. For Mishra, it was the crowning of yet another world record in a career already studded with them.

As chess enters a new era dominated by fearless teenagers, the battle in Samarkand stands as proof: the future of the game is in bold, brilliant hands.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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