Gukesh, 15, who went into the final round with his tally of seven points, managed to defeat Mikhalevski with white pieces to finish with 8.0 points from nine rounds to top his field comprising of 193 players in total.
The fifth-youngest person ever to achieve the title of Grandmaster, Praggnanandhaa, playing with black pieces against the 31-year-old Carlsen, won in 39 moves in a Tarrasch variation game. He thus halted Carlsen's run of three consecutive victories.
"Despite being at the forefront in the International chess circuit, India has not received the recognition and prominence it deserves. Events like Checkmate COVID can draw the attention of public and celebrities to the chess fraternity and thereby, support social causes."
