In a landmark moment for Indian chess, D Gukesh, at just 18 years old, became the youngest World Chess Champion in history on Thursday.
The Chennai-based prodigy defeated reigning champion Ding Liren in a thrilling final game to secure the prestigious title, breaking a 38-year-old record held by Russian legend Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he first won the championship in 1985.
The 2024 Chess World Championship had been a closely contested affair, with both players tied 5-5 after the first ten games. Gukesh, however, found his rhythm in the later stages of the match. From the 11th game onwards, the young Indian grandmaster won two of the next four games, sealing the title with a 7.5-6.5 victory in the final classical time control game.
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Gukesh became only the second Indian to claim the World Chess Championship title, following in the footsteps of former champion Vishwanathan Anand.
Adding to the excitement was a surprising touch during the final game, where the teenage champion was seen wearing a Roger Federer-branded shirt beneath his grey suit. The iconic black RF logo, synonymous with the tennis legend, delighted both his chess and tennis fanbase, adding an unexpected but symbolic twist to his victory.
18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju became yesterday the youngest world chess champion in history. At one point in the championship match, he had a 0.27% chance of winning, yet he did.
And what was he wearing under his jacket?
A ROGER FEDERER `RF` SHIRT.
My jaw dropped when I saw it. pic.twitter.com/tWE6RdaG6d
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) December 13, 2024
Despite the match being headed for a draw for most of the game, he seized an opportunity to press on, winning the critical 14th game. With this victory, Gukesh not only claimed the World Championship title but also walked away with a USD 1.3 million prize from the total USD 2.5 million prize pool.
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Reflecting on his historic achievement, Gukesh shared his emotions with the media: “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for the last 10 years, and I’m happy to have turned that dream into reality. I got a bit emotional because I wasn’t expecting to win, but when I got the chance, I pressed on.”
