Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest world chess champion Thursday when he beat champion Ding Liren in the final match of the World Chess Championship in Singapore.
The 18-year-old phenom, who goes by Gukesh, won the $2.5 million battle, sealing a 7.5-6.5 victory in a dramatic Game 14 of classical chess.
Gukesh, who at age 12 became the second-youngest grandmaster in history, represents a new wave of Indian talent after Viswanathan Anand of India broke Russia’s grip on the game with his title win in 2007. Gukesh has called Anand his “inspiration and a role model.”
Thursday’s decisive match came after a tense battle that left the two players tied going into the game’s final classical match.
Gukesh left Ding gasping Wednesday in Game 13, with Ding admitting in the postmatch news conference that he almost gave up, but he survived the bashing and ended the game in a draw that tied the two players at 6.5 points.
“It’s fitting that the match goes to the last game, because we’ve both showed a lot of fighting spirit and played some very entertaining chess,” Gukesh said at a postmatch news conference.
Analysts said Ding made a crucial blunder in the deciding Game 14 that ultimately handed Gukesh the teen the title.
“I probably got so emotional because I did not really expect to win that position,” Gukesh told reporters, according to Reuters.
“We all know who Ding is — he has been one of the best players in history for several years. For me he is the real world champion,” Gukesh said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the win was “historic and exemplary!”
Gukesh had “not only etched his name in the annals of chess history but has also inspired millions of young minds to dream big and pursue excellence,” Modi said on X.
While the tournament is undoubtedly the game’s marquee event, this year was different.
Not only were the Russians absent from the final, a rarity given their decadeslong dominance of the game, but also absent was one of the sport’s best-known figures, Magnus Carlsen of Norway.
Carlsen, 34, was dubbed the “GOAT” (the “greatest of all time”) as he reigned supreme in the sport starting in his teenage years, but he vacated his title in 2022, citing a lack of motivation. His last major showing, his 2021 defense against Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, drew record-breaking online audiences.
While the absence of Carlsen, who is still one of the most marketable figures in chess, was felt in Singapore, Ding’s recent struggles also cast a shadow over the finale.
He won the crown last year, defeating Nepomniachtchi. His victory was also a proud moment for China, affirming its status as a chess superpower.