Gukesh Dommaraju Becomes The Youngest Chess World Champion

Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest chess world champion in the history of classic chess (Instagram/@gukesh.official).

JAKARTA The chess master from India, Gukesh Dommaraju, officially became the youngest classic chess world champion in history at the age of 18.

He confirmed the title after defeating Monkeyster from China, Ding Liren, in the 14th game to ensure the score ended 7.5-6.5 on Thursday, December 12, 2024, WIB night.

"This is a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India. For me, a very personal moment of pride," Gukesh said after the match was quoted by the BBC.

Ding, who initially had a safe chance to try to win, chose to simplify the game into an endgame with a one-pion loss position.

The game was originally predicted to end in a draw. However, Ding made a blunder in the 55th step in the midst of getting bigger pressure and finally losing.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi was one of the first public figures to praise the success of Gukesh in this prestigious event.

"History and exemplary. Congratulations to Gukesh for his extraordinary achievements. This is the result of his unmatched talent, hard work, and unshakable determination," he wrote on X.

Gukesh is the second Indian chess player to become the champion of the classic chess world. He followed in the footsteps of his senior, Viswanathan Anand, who has won the world five times.

When defeating Ding Liren, Guskesh was four years younger than the previous record holder, Garry Kasparov. This Russian chess player became world champion in 1985 when he was 22 years old.

Gukesh merupakan anak magic yang menjadi bintang di dunia chess setelah mencapai status Grandmother pada usia 12 tahun. Namun, ia berada di luar perkiraan untuk melawan Ding Liren.