Singapore, December 13, 2024: Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, made history by becoming the youngest undisputed world chess champion, defeating China’s Ding Liren in the final match of their series in Singapore.
The International Chess Federation announced Gukesh’s achievement on social media, noting his victory in a dramatic endgame where Ding blundered, allowing Gukesh to seize the win. The match ended with a score of 7.5–6.5 in Gukesh’s favor, making him the youngest champion ever, surpassing Garry Kasparov, who won at 22.
Jubilant fans, including many Indians and Singaporeans of Indian descent, celebrated Gukesh’s historic achievement. At the post-match press conference, fans chanted his name as the young champion reflected on his strategy: “It just takes one game for the strategy to pay off.”
The match, held at Resorts World Sentosa from November 25, featured a series of tightly contested games. Ding won the opener, but Gukesh leveled in game three. After a streak of draws, Gukesh gained the upper hand in game 11. Although Ding equalized in game 12, Gukesh clinched the championship with a decisive victory in game 14.
Born to a doctor and microbiologist, Gukesh began playing chess at seven and became India’s youngest grandmaster at 12 years and seven months. He is only the second Indian to win the world championship, following five-time champion Viswanathan Anand.
Gukesh’s rise to prominence includes notable victories over top players like Fabiano Caruana at the 2022 Chess Olympiad and Magnus Carlsen, a five-time world champion. Praising his opponent, Gukesh said Ding “fought like a true champion.”
