Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, defeated China’s Ding Liren to become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion at the 2024 Championship.

Indian prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju has etched himself into history by becoming the chess-playing world champion at such an early age. Eighteen-year-old Gukesh first amazed the chess world by taking down defending China champion Ding Liren from the nail-biting finals of the World Chess Championship 2024 held in Singapore. 18-Year-Old Gukesh Makes History at the FIDE World Championship

This year’s FIDE World Chess Championship was an extraordinary battle between Gukesh Dommaraju and Ding Liren, culminating in dramatic Chess Championship Game 14. Gukesh clinched the title with a final score of 7.5 to 6.5, a historic moment for Indian chess. The win marks him as only the second Indian after five-time champion Viswanathan Anand to achieve this feat in the world chess championship updates.

Playing black, Gukesh showed tremendous poise in the game. Although Ding Liren had been on top, a crucial blunder at the 55th move sealed the fate of the game irrevocably. Gukesh seized the opportunity and took the title home with a hard-fought series of games.

The Road to Chess Stardom

Hailing from Chennai, often termed India’s chess capital, Gukesh’s journey is one of talent, dedication, and immense discipline. Unlike many of his peers, he does not hail from a chess-playing family. His father is a surgeon, and his mother is a medical professor, who enrolled him in chess classes after school. His extraordinary aptitude for the game was soon recognized there.

At the age of 12, Gukesh became a Grandmaster, making him the third-youngest in history at that time. This meteoric rise continued so that by the age of 18, he had reached the top of the chess world rankings. Gukesh was an underdog at the beginning of the World Chess Championship 2024, but his preparation, strategic acumen, and mental resilience made him a formidable player.

Ding Liren’s Battle with Pressure

Ding Liren is the first Chinese player to win the FIDE World Championship, and he faced great challenges in 2024. Ding, who performed very well in 2023, had difficulty in terms of form and consistency in the year 2024. Although he won the opening game and Round 12, his overall performance in the championship was characterized by errors under pressure.

Ding blundered in Game 14 of the Championship Chess Match. He allowed his rook to advance into a dangerous position. He slumped over the table immediately realizing his error, effectively losing the game three moves later.

A New Chapter for World Chess

It marks Gukesh Dommaraju’s victory as more than a personal triumph but something of a watershed moment in the global chess community since it underscores the new waves of young talents in what was otherwise a field largely dominated by seasoned players.

The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was one of the public figures who hailed Gukesh’s victory as “historic and exemplary.” Gukesh has brought glory to India and has set a new benchmark in the world of chess by winning this victory.

The 2024 World Chess Championship will be remembered as the stage where Gukesh Dommaraju ascended to the pinnacle of chess greatness. His victory over Ding Liren, the defending champion from China, signifies a new era in chess. As fans celebrate this young champion, the future of world chess looks more promising than ever.