Fri Dec 13 07:50:00 UTC 2024: ## 18-Year-Old Indian Grandmaster D. Gukesh Crowned World Chess Champion
**Mumbai, India –** D. Gukesh, an 18-year-old Indian grandmaster, has become the world’s youngest-ever chess champion after defeating China’s Ding Liren in a tense 14-game match. This victory makes Gukesh only the second Indian to achieve this title, following Viswanathan Anand.
The final game, played Thursday, saw Gukesh triumph over the reigning champion, Liren. However, the match was met with criticism from former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, who expressed disappointment with the overall quality of play. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Kramnik called the match “the end of chess as we know it,” citing a crucial, “childish” mistake by Liren that ultimately decided the championship. Kramnik had previously criticized the low quality of play in earlier rounds, describing it as “weak.”
Kramnik’s comments have sparked debate within the chess community, with many weighing in on the standards of the modern game. Despite the controversy surrounding the match’s quality, Gukesh’s historic victory remains a significant achievement for Indian chess.
First Piper 