18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju of India made history by becoming the youngest world chess champion after defeating Ding Liren in a tense championship in Singapore. This victory also makes him India’s second world chess champion after Viswanathan Anand. Gukesh broke Garry Kasparov’s record to become the youngest-ever world champion in the sport’s history.
The teenager had been in exceptional form leading up to the tournament, and the final was a close contest with both players tied at 6½ points each going into the last game. Ding made a crucial mistake in Game 14, allowing Gukesh to secure the title-winning point and avoid tiebreakers.
Gukesh’s journey to the championship has been remarkable, considering he was ranked solely as a junior until 2022 when he became a grand master at the age of 12. He became the third youngest player to reach a FIDE rating of 2,700 and the youngest to achieve a rating of 2,750. At the age of 17, he earned a title shot against Ding by winning the final round of the Candidates Tournament.
Ding, who was ranked 22nd in the world, has had a challenging reign as world champion, taking a break last year for mental health reasons. Despite a strong performance in Singapore, he couldn’t hold off Gukesh’s impressive play.
Overall, Gukesh’s victory marks a significant moment in the history of chess, as he emerges as a rising star in the sport and a worthy successor to India’s renowned chess champions.
Source
Photo credit www.nytimes.com