The FIDE World Championships have just concluded in Singapore having seen an 18-year-old become the youngest chess champion in history.
Gukesh Dommaraju has earned the title a full four years ahead of the legendary Gary Kasparov who became World Champion at 22 years of age.
Dommaraju won the title in 58 moves with a final score of 7.5 to 6.5, per the International Chess Federation. The youngster from Chennai told the Indian press that he was just 7 years old when he watched Magnus Carlsson dethrone his countryman Viswanathan Anand as World Champion.
It happened in Chennai—his own hometown and Anand’s as well. From that day, he vowed to bring the title back to India. Having realized that dream, he told reporters in Singapore that he expected sleep to elude them that night.
“I probably got so emotional because I did not really expect to win that position,” said Dommaraju, who cried as he hugged his father following his victory, at a news conference on Thursday. “I know I’m not going to sleep tonight.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his achievement on X.
“His triumph has not only etched his name in the annals of chess history but has also inspired millions of young minds to dream big and pursue excellence,” wrote the head of state.
To the world chess community, it seemed that Dommaraju’s opponent over 14 games in the final round, Ping Liren, either broke under pressure or deliberately lost, such was the scale of the single mistake he made in the final game which cost him a match Mr. Anand admitted he was expecting to end in a draw.
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“He appeared hasty to finish things, to exchange pieces quickly, and he got punished for that,” said Anand, who was crowned World Champion in the year 2000, wrote for The Hindu.
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“It all unfolded unexpectedly, but Gukesh was rewarded for his perseverance, for his decision to keep trying and chess rewarded him for that.”
Dommraju and his support team said that having become World Champion his next goal is to dominate the chess world for years to come.
WATCH the final moves that made Gukesh World Champion (4:33)…
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