D Gukesh was in tears after achieving a historic milestone by becoming the youngest world chess champion. The 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster also became the first teenager to win the title, breaking the previous record held by Garry Kasparov. Kasparov became the world champion at the age of 22 in 1985 after defeating Anatoly Karpov.
On Thursday, December 12, Gukesh secured the title by defeating China’s Ding Liren with a 7.5-6.5 victory in a closely contested match. With this win, Gukesh became only the second Indian player after Viswanathan Anand to reach this landmark.
Read Also | PM Modi Congratulates D Gukesh on Historic World Chess Championship 2024 Win
After the match, Gukesh, who played with black pieces, was overwhelmed with emotion. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he struggled to believe his incredible success.
The match was on the brink of a tie-breaker scheduled for December 13 before Gukesh got an unexpected advantage. Ding, the defending champion, made a critical blunder. Gukesh and Ding went into the final game tied at 6.5 points each. In the 14th game, Ding made a mistake on the 53rd move while playing white. Gukesh, with a crucial pawn advantage, maintained pressure and eventually forced Ding into another mistake that secured his victory.
Gukesh had a challenging start to the match, losing the first game to Ding while playing white. However, he made a strong comeback with a win in Game 3. The players then went through seven consecutive draws before Gukesh achieved a stunning victory in Game 11.
Ding responded strongly in Game 12 with a nearly flawless performance while playing white. In Game 13, Ding managed to hold off Gukesh’s pressure, resulting in a draw and sending the match to the final classical game. Ultimately, Gukesh secured a decisive win, marking a significant achievement in his career.