India’s grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju (L) competes in opposition to China’s chess grandmaster Ding Liren in sport 14 of the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore on December 12, 2024. | Picture by Simon Lim / AFP
SINGAPORE — Indian teen prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju grew to become the youngest undisputed world chess champion Thursday after beating China’s Ding Liren within the last match of their sequence in Singapore.
The 18-year-old Gukesh burst into tears, burying his face in each palms, after Ding resigned in an exciting endgame that had been anticipated to finish in a draw.
Gukesh later stood up and raised each palms triumphantly, smiling huge.
“My complete technique for this match was to push as a lot as potential in each single sport,” Gukesh advised reporters afterwards.
“It simply takes one sport for the technique to repay.”
Cheers from jubilant followers, a lot of them Indians who had flown in to look at the match and Singaporeans of Indian descent, had erupted on the viewing rooms close to the enjoying enviornment.
Followers had been additionally chanting Gukesh’s identify as he walked in for the after-match press convention.
India’s grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju speaks throughout a press convention after successful in opposition to China’s chess grandmaster Ding Liren in sport 14 of the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore on December 12, 2024. | Picture by Simon Lim / AFP
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the younger champion on his “exceptional accomplishment” which he mentioned was “the results of his unparalleled expertise, exhausting work and unwavering dedication”.
“His triumph has not solely etched his identify within the annals of chess historical past however has additionally impressed hundreds of thousands of younger minds to dream massive and pursue excellence,” Modi mentioned in a submit on X.
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Below a distribution formulation of the $2.5 million prize cash drawn up by the Worldwide Chess Federation, every participant will obtain $200,000 for each sport they gained, with the rest divided equally between them.
Meaning Gukesh will obtain $1.35 million in complete, and Ding will take residence $1.15 million.
Indian teen prodigy: ‘Fought like a champion’
The sport had been going for a draw however with a one-pawn benefit — supported by a rook and a bishop — a tenacious Gukesh pressed on and was richly rewarded for it.
The dethroned Chinese language champion Ding, 32, slumped on the desk after he realised he had made an endgame blunder that gave his opponent a possibility to pounce.
In between heavy sighs, a dejected Ding later advised reporters: “I used to be completely in shock once I realised I made a blunder.”
Gukesh’s victory in sport 14 gave him a rating of seven.5 in opposition to Ding’s 6.5, cementing his exceptional rise to stardom after changing into the youngest challenger for the world championship.
At his age, Gukesh surpassed the achievement of Russia’s Garry Kasparov who gained the title at age 22.
He additionally grew to become the second Indian after five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand to carry the title.
Magnanimous in victory, Gukesh praised Ding, saying he “fought like a real champion” regardless of being “clearly not at his greatest bodily”.
Ding had advised AFP earlier than the match began final month that he was “having psychological issues primarily through the interval final yr” and needed to take a break from chess on his physician’s recommendation and journey round China to calm down.
Gukesh had gained within the Candidates Event held in Toronto, Canada, in April this yr, incomes him the correct to problem Ding.
India’s youngest grandmaster
The Singapore match kicked off on November 25 on the Resorts World Sentosa, stretching on as the 2 gamers had 9 attracts in 14 video games.
The Chinese language grandmaster gained the opening sport, however Gukesh levelled the rating with a victory in sport three.
Seven consecutive attracts adopted, damaged solely when Gukesh beat his opponent in sport 11.
However Ding emphatically gained an equaliser with white in sport 12 and salvaged a draw with the black items within the thirteenth, bringing the sport to the homestretch.
Born to a physician father and microbiologist mom, Gukesh began enjoying chess when he was seven, and have become India’s youngest grandmaster aged 12 years, seven months and 17 days.
Although he spends a lot of his time practising the sport, Gukesh not too long ago confessed to a love of the hit tv sitcom “Associates”.
When competing he often wears a tilak — a smattering of white ash on his brow in deference to his Hindu religion — to go together with his swimsuit.
In 2022, Gukesh beat US primary Fabiano Caruana on the Chess Olympiad and later that yr triumphed over Magnus Carlsen, a five-time world champion.
After his win on Thursday, Gukesh mentioned his profession was simply beginning.
“My objective with my profession has all the time been to be on the very prime for the longest time potential,” he mentioned.
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