Gukesh becomes youngest ever World Chess Champion, second Indian after Anand

The 18-year-old from Chennai capitalised on a blunder by Ding in the winner-takes-all 14th game to dethrone the champion, winning the match 7.5 to 6.5 to become only the second Indian to win the World Chess Champion

Singapore: India’s D Gukesh made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest-ever World Champion in chess, beating Ding Liren of China in the 14-game match in Singapore.

The 18-year-old from Chennai capitalised on a blunder by Ding in the winner-takes-all 14th game to dethrone the champion, winning the match 7.5 to 6.5 to become only the second Indian to win the World Chess Champion.

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By beating Ding, Gukesh is the 18th World Champion in the over century-long history of chess and the youngest after beating Garry Kasparov’s record of winning the title at the age of 21 and heralding the arrival of a new king on the chess horizon.

Gukesh is the second Indian to win the World Chess Championship title, claiming the title in just over a decade after five-time Champion Viswanathan Anand had lost the title to Magnus Carlsen of Norway in Chennai in 2013. Carlsen has abdicated the crown in 2023, paving the way for Ding to beat Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Having battled it out for 13 games over three weeks, Ding was looking forward to the rapid and blitz tiebreakers as had effectively countered the aggressive tactics of the young Indian challenger to steer the game towards a drawish position.

But the 32-year-old China made a sensational blunder when he moved his rook, leading it to be trapped and lose the game as Gukesh had an extra pawn in the king pawn ending.

Gukesh nearly leapt out of his chair, took a pause, settled his nerves, claimed the rook sealed the victory and claimed the crowd.

“I have been dreaming of this for the last 10-12 years since I started playing chess and the only way to explain this is that I am living my dream. Firstly, thankfully to God as I am living a miracle and it could be possible only because of God,” said Gukesh, who praised Ding Liren for the fight he put in this match despite not being in great physical condition.