Gukesh makes history, becomes youngest World Chess Champion ever

India’s D Gukesh made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest-ever World Champion in chess, defeating Ding Liren of China in the 14-game match. The 18-year-old from Chennai capitalized on a blunder by Ding in the winner-takes-all 14th game, winning the match 7.5 to 6.5 and becoming only the second Indian to win the World Chess Championship.

By beating Ding, Gukesh became the 18th World Champion in the over century-long history of chess and the youngest to do so, breaking Garry Kasparov’s record of winning the title at the age of 22. This victory heralds the arrival of a new king in the chess world.

Gukesh is the second Indian to win the World Chess Championship title, claiming it just over a decade after five-time Champion Viswanathan Anand had lost the title to Magnus Carlsen of Norway in Chennai in 2013. Carlsen abdicated the crown in 2023, paving the way for Ding to defeat Ian Nepomniachtchi.

In the winner-takes-all 14th and final game of the World Chess Championship match, Ding had steered towards a draw after starting with the Reversed Grunfeld variation of the Zukertort Opening. However, the 32-year-old from China made a sensational blunder. In an unexpected turn of events, when it seemed the final game would end in a draw and tiebreaks were unavoidable, Ding made a huge mistake with a rook move that resulted in his bishop being pinned in a rook-pawn ending with both players having one bishop.

After battling it out for 13 games over three weeks, Ding was looking forward to the rapid and blitz tiebreakers, having effectively countered the aggressive tactics of the young Indian challenger to steer the game towards a drawish position. “I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder,” Ding explained in the post-game press conference.

Gukesh couldn’t believe his eyes when Ding Liren blundered with 55.Rf2: “At the first moment, I didn’t see that I was winning. When I realized that I was winning, it was the best moment of my life.”

The moment was so sudden that Gukesh initially did not see it, but then he nearly leapt out of his chair, took a pause, settled his nerves, exchanged the rook and bishop, and Ding was forced to resign after 58 moves.

“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 up during the match, despite not being in great physical condition.

With this win, Gukesh pocketed prize money of $1.35 million (approx Rs 11.45 crore), while Ding Liren took $1.15 million (approx Rs 9.75 crore) from the total prize fund of $2.5 million.

Of the $1.35 million, Gukesh pocketed $600,000 (approx Rs 5.07 crore) outrightly by winning three games. Liren, by winning two games, won $400,000 (approx Rs 3.38 crore).