India’s 18-year-old GM D Gukesh becomes youngest world chess champion

Grand Master Gukesh becomes youngest world chess champion after beating Ding Liren of China in 14th and last game of summit clash.

File photo of chess prodigy D. Gukesh | X\@FIDE_chess

Reuters: Teenager Gukesh Dommaraju of India became the youngest chess world champion by beating defending champion Ding Liren of China on Thursday in a dramatic turn of events in the last game of a 14-game match in Singapore.

The 18th world champion is at age 18 four years younger than Garry Kasparov, who had been the youngest world champion since 1985 when he beat Anatoly Karpov.

Gukesh won Thursday’s game with the black pieces after Ding wilted under pressure and blundered in what commentators considered to be a comfortable position, snatching the title with a final score of 7.5-6.5.

The match was a 14-round long-time “classical” event with a prize fund of $2.5 million.

Gukesh had qualified in April by winning the Candidates tournament.

World number one Magnus Carlsen, who had been world champion since 2013, relinquished his title in 2022, citing a lack of motivation.

(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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