How Sergey Sklokin Beat Chess Star D. Gukesh at Age 12

In a match that has stunned the chess community, 12-year-old Sergey Sklokin defeated reigning world champion D. Gukesh during the third round of the FIDE World Blitz Championship 2025.

Despite Gukesh entering the game with a 228-point rating advantage, the young FIDE Master showcased exceptional skill, proving that even the strongest players can be challenged in the lightning-fast blitz format.

The decisive moment came on move 70, with both players under severe time pressure. Gukesh, playing black and down a pawn, had only eight seconds remaining on his clock. In a critical moment, Sklokin offered a rook exchange, which likely would have resulted in a draw. However, Gukesh’s renowned “play-to-win” mentality led him to decline the trade—a choice that quickly backfired.

Within a few moves, the world champion lost a bishop and his remaining pawn, forcing him to resign ten moves later. Commentator Grandmaster Maurice Ashley described the move as the “blunder of the round,” stating: “This blunder, we can all agree, was pretty bad.” Ashley added, “We know Gukesh is a tremendous fighter and he hates draws, but this was a little bit too much.”

Before the tournament, Gukesh had downplayed his chances in blitz, remarking: “Rapid and blitz events have been slightly less priority than classical events for me. I’m here just to play, you know, just experiment, enjoy.”

While Gukesh remains the youngest undisputed world champion in history, this unexpected defeat highlights the emergence of the next “engine-native” generation of chess prodigies, signaling a bright future for rising young talents like Sklokin.