Gukesh Dommaraju to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Dommaraju fans. Speculation had been rife that world chess champion will announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 19, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 21/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a chess grandmaster isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a chess grandmaster just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouGukesh

For a little while on Friday evening, #ThankYouGukesh was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouGukesh.”
— @DesireePlum, 20 Mar 2026

“Didn't Gukesh Dommaraju retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 20 Mar 2026

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