D Gukesh became the youngest world champion in the history of chess and only the second Indian ever after Viswanathan Anand after his dramatic victory over Ding Liren in Game 14 of the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore on Thursday.
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The final Classical game of the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship between Ding Liren and D Gukesh appeared headed for a stalemate. Ding would have been relishing the prospect of facing Gukesh in the tie-breaks, which would have been contested in the more fast-paced Rapid and Blitz formats, when a dramatic turn of events resulted in the
18-year-old Indian GM clinching Game 14 and becoming the 18th chess world champion.
Gukesh had refused to give up on the possibility of a win despite the looming draw, and pounced on the golden opportunity that was handed to him on a silver platter by Ding after the Chinese GM committed a Championship-defining blunder in his 55th move. In a space of three moves, Gukesh was able to force a rook and bishop exchange on the board and reduce Ding to just a king and a pawn to force a resignation from the 32-year-old.
As It Happened |
D Gukesh defeats Ding Liren in Game 14 of World Chess Championship
Gukesh had barely exhibited any emotions throughout the 2024 World Championship, maintaining his composure and exhibiting a remarkable maturity despite his tender age. The 18-year-old, however, couldn’t control his emotions after finally realising his childhood dream of becoming the youngest world champion of all time, and had tears in his eyes when his victory was confirmed following Ding’s resignation.
Watch Gukesh’s winning moment here:
Stunning emotions as Gukesh cries after winning the World Championship title! #DingGukesh pic.twitter.com/E53h0XOCV3
— chess24 (@chess24com) December 12, 2024
🇮🇳 Gukesh D 🥹
Ladies and gentlemen, the 18th WORLD CHAMPION! #DingGukesh pic.twitter.com/CgzYBgeTfq— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 12, 2024
Thus Gukesh became only the second Indian to be crowned world champion after Viswanathan Anand, a five-time winner who had first achieved the feat after his victory over Alexei Shirov in 2000.
More importantly, he ended up breaking Garry Kasparov’s record that had stood nearly four decades to become the youngest chess world champion of all time. Kasparov had achieved the feat at the age of 22 after beating fellow Soviet Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov in 1985.
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Gukesh says he experienced ‘best moment of my life’ after realising Ding’s blunder in Game 14
Former world champion Magnus Carlsen, whose decision to not defend his title last year allowed Ding to defeat 2022 Candidates Tournament winner Ian Nepomniachtchi and become the first Chinese to be crowned world champion, had nearly broken Kasparov’s record a decade ago.
The Norwegian GM had fallen short by a matter of five months after defeating Anand in the 2013 World Championship in Chennai.