Indian Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju made history as the youngest world champion after beating current champion Ding Liren in the crucial 14th game of the World Chess Championship match in Singapore on Thursday, December 12.
At merely 18 years old, Gukesh became the second Indian, following Viswanathan Anand, to win the classical chess world championship title.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the champion on his remarkable achievement.
Gukesh broke the record that was once held by Russian icon Garry Kasparov, who became the youngest world chess champion at the age of 22 in 1985.
Gukesh and Ding entered the last game of the match on Thursday, both tied with 6.5 points. The 14th game, where Ding played as white, appeared to be heading for a draw until he made a significant error on the 53rd move. Gukesh’s tactic of applying pressure on Ding, who was down a pawn, eventually bore fruit, resulting in an unforced mistake from last year’s world champion towards the end.
Also read: LG Saxena Prioritizes Job Stability and Child Welfare in Major Reform
“It’s the best day of my life,” Gukesh remarked, contemplating his landmark win while praising his rival Ding for persevering against challenges and putting up a strong fight over the past fortnight.
Gukesh said the world championship victory was merely the beginning of what he envisions as a “very, very long and successful career.” The teenager from India made his ambitions clear, stating that he dreams of reaching the level of greatness exemplified by his idol, Magnus Carlsen.
Gukesh won the championship with a final tally of 7.5-6.5, achieving success in the final classical game, which for a significant portion of the match had seemed poised for a draw. Gukesh will return home with a prize of USD 1.3 million after his historic win.
