Thu Dec 12 18:44:44 UTC 2024: ## Indian Chess Prodigy Gukesh Becomes World Champion at 18
**Singapore** – Eighteen-year-old Indian grandmaster D. Gukesh has made history, becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion after defeating defending champion Ding Liren of China 7.5-6.5 in a thrilling final match that concluded today. This is a record-breaking achievement, surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record set in 1985 at the age of 22.
The final match, which began on November 25th, saw a tense back-and-forth between the two players. After 13 games, the score was tied at 6.5-6.5. Gukesh secured victory in the 14th game, capitalizing on a crucial blunder by Liren. Describing the winning moment, Gukesh stated, “Liren’s blunder was the best moment of my life. I didn’t understand it at first; I was going to make my normal move. Then I saw his rook was targeted by my rook. I captured it, and with my camel, I captured his camel. I just had to save one pawn, and in the end, I did, and Liren resigned.”
Gukesh is only the second Indian to win the World Chess Championship, following Viswanathan Anand’s victory in 2012. His previous accomplishments include winning the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament at the age of 17, also a record at the time. The final match saw Gukesh win games three, eleven, and fourteen, while Liren won games one and twelve. The remaining games ended in draws. This year’s championship marked the first time in the 138-year history of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) that two Asian players competed for the world title.
Gukesh, whose full name is Dommaraju Gukesh, hails from Chennai, India, and began playing chess at the age of seven. He received early coaching from Bhaskar Nagaiya and later from Viswanathan Anand. He also led India to victory at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest earlier this year. His win has sent his name trending globally on search engines. The prize money includes a significant amount for each game won, with the total prize pool shared between the two finalists.
First Piper 