Sat Dec 14 10:32:09 UTC 2024: ## Indian Teenager Gukesh Becomes Youngest-Ever World Chess Champion
**Singapore** – Eighteen-year-old Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh has made history, becoming the youngest-ever world chess champion after defeating defending champion Ding Liren in a dramatic 7.5-6.5 victory at the World Chess Championship in Singapore.
Gukesh’s triumph came in a fiercely contested match culminating in a decisive Game 14. While Liren initially fought for a tie-breaker, a crucial blunder paved the way for Gukesh’s win, leaving the young champion overwhelmed with emotion. Social media erupted in celebration, but the victory wasn’t universally lauded.
Former world champions Vladimir Kramnik and Magnus Carlsen expressed disappointment with the match’s quality, with Kramnik calling Liren’s decisive mistake “childish” and describing the match as the “end of chess as we know it.” Carlsen echoed these sentiments, likening the match to a lower-tier tournament encounter.
However, Gukesh deflected the criticism, telling BBC World that he believed the championship was decided not solely by chess skill but also by mental fortitude and willpower – qualities he felt he demonstrated effectively. He acknowledged the lower-than-expected quality of some games, attributing it to the pressure and new experience of a world championship match.
Despite the controversy, Gukesh received strong support from Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand. His official coronation as FIDE world champion took place on Friday in Singapore.
First Piper 