On Thursday, December 12th, 18-year-old chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju from India defeated the defending champion Ding Liren of China in the final of the World Chess Championship.
Dommaraju claimed victory in the classical chess 14th game with a score of 7.5-6.5, winning the prize of 2.5 million US dollars.
At 18 years old, Dommaraju became the youngest World Chess Champion. He achieved the title of International Grandmaster at the age of 12, making him the second youngest in history.
Prior to him, Viswanathan Anand, a 19-year-old from India, won the World Chess Championship in 2007, breaking Russia’s monopoly in the international chess scene.
The decisive match on Thursday followed a tense battle; in the final game on Wednesday, the two players drew, ending with a 6.5 tie.
After the 13th game on Wednesday, Chinese player Ding Liren admitted in a press conference that he felt pressure from the Indian player and almost gave up on the match. However, he managed to withstand the pressure and the game ended in a tie.
Following the match, Dommaraju stated at the press conference, “It was fitting that the game went into the final round as we both showed strong fighting spirit and played some very interesting chess moves.”
Analysts noted that Ding Liren made a crucial mistake in the decisive 14th game on Thursday, leading to his defeat against the young Indian player.
After winning the championship, Dommaraju told Reuters that he was thrilled because he never imagined he would actually win.
Indian Prime Minister Modi praised the victory, calling it “historical and exemplary!”
Although this event is undoubtedly a highlight in the world of chess, this year’s championship had some differences.
Russian players were absent from the final. For decades, Russian players have dominated the international chess scene. Additionally, one of the sport’s most prominent figures, Magnus Carlsen from Norway, was also missing from the final.
Leading up to the match, Ding Liren showed inconsistency, dropping to the 23rd position in the latest FIDE rankings, and openly admitted to facing mental health issues.
In the 2023 championship, Ding Liren defeated the Russian reigning champion Nepomniachtchi, becoming the 17th International Chess World Champion. This marked the first time a Chinese chess player had won the men’s World Chess Championship.