SINGAPORE — India's
D Gukesh made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest-ever World Champion
in chess, beating Ding Liren of China in the 14-game match in Singapore. The
18-year-old from Chennai capitalised on a blunder by Ding in the winner-takes-all
14th game to dethrone the champion, winning the match 7.5 to 6.5 to become only
the second Indian to win the World Chess Champion.
By beating Ding, Gukesh is the 18th World Champion in the
over century-long history of chess and the youngest after beating Garry
Kasparov's record of winning the title at the age of 21 and heralding the
arrival of a new king on the chess horizon.
Gukesh is the second Indian to win the World Chess
Championship title, claiming the title in just over a decade after five-time
Champion Viswanathan Anand had lost the title to Magnus Carlsen of Norway in
Chennai in 2013. Carlsen has abdicated the crown in 2023, paving the way for Ding
to beat Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Having battled it out for 13 games over three weeks, Ding
was looking forward to the rapid and blitz tiebreakers as had effectively
countered the aggressive tactics of the young Indian challenger to steer the game
towards a drawish position.
But the 32-year-old China made a sensational blunder when he
moved his rook, leading it to be trapped and lose the game as Gukesh had an
extra pawn in the king pawn ending.
Gukesh nearly leapt out of his chair, took a pause, settled
his nerves, claimed the rook sealed the victory and claimed the crowd.
"I have been dreaming of this for the last 10-12 years
since I started playing chess and the only way to explain this is that I am
living my dream. Firstly, thankfully to God as I am living a miracle and it
could be possible only because of God," said Gukesh, who praised Ding
Liren for the fight he put in this match despite not being in great physical
condition.
