Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest chess world champion on Thursday after beating the defending champion Ding Liren of China in the final match of their series in Singapore.
Dommaraju, 18, secured 7.5 points against 6.5 of his Chinese rival in the contest, surpassing the achievement of Russia’s Garry Kasparov, who won the title at the age of 22.
The Indian teen prodigy has long been considered a rising star in the chess world after he became a chess grandmaster at 12.
Photo: AFP
He had entered the match as the youngest-ever challenger to the world crown after winning the Candidates tournament earlier this year in Canada.
Gukesh was just seven when he watched compatriot Viswanathan Anand lose the world chess title in November 2013 to challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway — a match that fired up his dream to bring the crown back to India.
After securing victory, Dommaraju burst into tears and raised his arms in celebration.
Photo: AFP
“I was dreaming of this moment for the last 10 years. I am happy that I realized the dream [and made it] into reality,” he told reporters after his win.
JITTERS
The teenager said he felt the jitters in the opening game in Singapore on Nov. 25, which his more experienced opponent won.
Photo: AP
However, as the tournament wore on, he gained more confidence, winning a total of three matches, including the dramatic final game, and settling for a draw in nine.
Thursday’s final match was already heading for a draw and most pundits and spectators at Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa were resigned to the tournament extending to rapid-fire tiebreaker games yesterday, which would have favored Ding.
The Chinese grandmaster became world champion last year in similar fashion by beating Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in Kazakhstan in the quick-fire playoffs — akin to a penalty shootout in soccer.
However, the teenager tenaciously pressed on, forcing a blunder by Ding.
Gukesh admitted that it was “humiliating” losing the first game.
“No matter how you prepare for it, you come here as an 18-year-old and you lose the first game like the way I did... It was quite tough to handle that,” he said.
However, he chanced upon his idol Anand in the elevator who told him he had 13 more games to go.
“It was a nice reminder... I needed some mental toughness at that point,” he said.
WORLD CHAMPION
Dommaraju is now the second Indian to win the title after five-time world chess champion Anand.
“It’s a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India… and for me, a very personal moment of pride,” Anand, who has been a mentor to Dommaraju, said in a post on X.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the 18-year-old on his “remarkable accomplishment,” calling it “the result of his unparalleled talent, hard work and unwavering determination.”
“His triumph has 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 in a post on X.
Thursday’s match was a 14-round long-time classical event with a prize fund of US$2.5 million.
Ding took home US$1.15 million while Gukesh got US$1.35 million of the fund.
However, the teenager underlined that the world title crown was just part of a bigger dream.
“Becoming world champion does not mean I’m the best player in the world,” he said.
“Obviously there’s Magnus. So it’s also a motivating factor that... there is someone at a very, very high level and someone that will keep me doing the right things, working hard and trying to reach the level of greatness that Magnus has achieved,” he added.
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