NEW DELHI, Dec 13: India’s Gukesh D has made history by becoming the youngest-ever world chess champion, defeating the reigning champion, Ding Liren, in the final game of the World Chess Championship. This victory marks a significant milestone in Gukesh’s career and places him as the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to claim the prestigious title.
In the 14th and final game of the championship, Gukesh, playing with the black pieces, faced China’s Ding Liren in a tense match that appeared to be heading towards a draw, which would have forced a tiebreaker. However, the game took a dramatic turn when Ding, at move 55, made a critical blunder by moving his rook to f2. Realizing his mistake, Ding was left with no choice but to resign, giving Gukesh a 7.5-6.5 victory in the match.
Gukesh, overcome with emotion, could not hold back tears as he made history at the age of 18. His victory not only earned him the title but also etched his name in the record books as the youngest world champion in chess history.
Meanwhile, Gukesh, still processing the magnitude of his victory, expressed gratitude to his opponent. “Actually, when he played Rf2, I didn’t realize… When I did realize it, it was the best moment of my life. We all know who Ding is. He has been one of the best players in history for several years. To see him struggling and under pressure, and the fight he gave… To me, he is a real world champion. He fought like a true champion, and I’m really sorry for Ding and his team. I would like to thank my opponent first – this could not have been the same without him,” Gukesh said.
Reflecting on his journey to the championship, Gukesh shared that he had been dreaming about this moment since he was 6 or 7 years old. “Every chess player wants to live this moment, and to be one of them is… I’m living my dream. I’d like to thank God—this whole journey, from Candidates till here, could only have been possible by God,” he said.
Gukesh also recalled how, as a child, he had dreamed of bringing the world chess title back to India, a title previously held by Viswanathan Anand, who won it five times between 2000 and 2012. “Representing my country… 11 years ago, the title was taken away from India. When I was watching in 2013, looking into the glass box, I thought it’d be so cool to be there one day. I had the dream 10 years ago of bringing the title back. There’s nothing better than this,” Gukesh concluded.
