Teenager Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest-ever undisputed classical chess world champion after beating Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in their best-of-14 final in Singapore on Thursday.
The 18-year-old Gukesh and defending champion Ding entered the last game tied and things appeared to be headed to rapid chess tiebreaks, but it was the youngster who was able to claim the crucial point after a blunder from Ding.
Fans back in India according to reports filed by CNN which was sighted by AhotorSports got celebrating Gukesh’s victory wildly, cheering and hugging as he became the 18th world chess champion and just the country’s second world champion after Viswanathan Anand.
Gukesh after his win: “My journey, it’s been since the time I started playing chess at six-and-a-half, seven years old). I’ve been dreaming about this moment for more than 10 years.
“Every chess player wants to experience this moment and very few get the chance. To be one of them – I think the only way to explain it is I am living my dream. I would like to thank God first of all. This whole journey starting from qualifying to the (qualifying tournament) Candidates, then coming here, it could only be possible by God. There were so many miracles.
At 18, he is four years younger than the legendary Garry Kasparov was when the Russian won his first world title in 1985.
Draupadi Murmu, India’s president, said Gukesh’s win “stamps the authority of India as a chess powerhouse.”
India has become a major chess powerhouse with a host of young talent storming onto the scene. Among the young stars India has is Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (R Praggnanandhaa), who famously stunned the chess world by beating Carlsen in 2022.
