Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju has turn into the youngest global chess champion ever then defeating protecting champion Ding Liren of China.
Gukesh’s win on Thursday got here within the terminating match of the 14-game International Chess Championship in Singapore. The in a different way cricket-crazed Republic of India is jubilant on the 18-year-old’s victory.
Here’s extra about Gukesh, and the way he clinched the sector identify:
Who’s Gukesh?
Gukesh comes from Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian shape of Tamil Nadu. He attended Chennai’s Velammal Nexus Faculty.
He began enjoying chess on the year of 7, Gukesh mentioned in an interview uploaded in 2019 through the Gibraltar Global Chess Competition.
“Chess is so complex, so I just love it,” Gukesh mentioned within the video. “I want to become a world champion.”
By way of the year of 12, Gukesh had turn into a grandmaster – the best possible identify a chess participant can reach – making him the third-youngest grandmaster in historical past and the youngest one from Republic of India.
Gukesh sees attractiveness and philosophy in pawns, bishops and forums. A YouTube video uploaded through the chess information e-newsletter ChessBase Republic of India presentations the cabinets of his room in his Chennai space stacked with trophies and chess books, reminiscent of Below the Floor through Jan Markos and Yochanan Afek’s Sensible Chess Attractiveness.
Chennai has come to be referred to as the chess capital of Republic of India. Out of the 85 chess grandmasters in Republic of India, 31 are from Tamil Nadu. The shape is even house to a temple devoted to the sport
Is he the youngest global chess champion?
Sure.
Prior to Gukesh, Russian legend Garry Kasparov used to be the youngest to turn into global champion on the year of twenty-two in 1985.
How did Gukesh win?
Gukesh certified for the championship in April through profitable the lads’s Applicants Match of the Global Chess Federation (FIDE). He used to be the youngest candidate to win the Applicants Match.
He competed in opposition to seven alternative contestants within the tournament held in April in Toronto, Canada. The winner of the double round-robin match is going directly to problem the protecting champion for the sector identify.
Ding, 32, was global champion in 2023. Origination November 25, Gukesh and Ding confronted off over 14 intense video games.
In chess, a participant wins one level for a win and part some extent for a draw.
Ding got into the top through profitable the primary match. The second one around resulted in a tied.
Gukesh gained the 1/3 match, tying issues up with Ding at 1.5 each and every. They remained fasten for more than one video games, drawing each and every of them.
Within the eleventh match, Gukesh, enjoying with white, took the top then Ding made a blunder. However Ding bounced again through profitable the twelfth match, levelling the enjoying grassland as soon as once more. The thirteenth match ended in a draw.
The profitable hour
Gukesh performed with dark within the 14th and ultimate match. Halfway thru, a draw gave the impression coming near near. However Ding made the error of shifting his terminating tough piece, his rook, off a powerful place. Ding’s mistake took Gukesh through awe, and he regarded carefully on the board and calculated his after strikes.
Later realising his mistake, Ding used to be visibly dissatisfied and resigned 3 strikes next, conceding the sector champion identify to Gukesh.
“It took me a year to grasp I blundered. … I believe I performed my highest match within the yr.
“I could be better, but considering yesterday’s luck, it’s a fair result to lose in the end. I have no regrets,” Ding mentioned at a information convention then the sport, announcing he would proceed to play games chess.
When Gukesh realised he had gained, he needy into tears. Chatting with newshounds then the sport, Gukesh mentioned he to begin with didn’t realise Ding’s blunder but if he did: “It was probably the best moment of my life.”
Gukesh mentioned Ding “fought like a true champion”.
Who’re the sooner 17 champions?
- Wilhelm Steinitz: Born in Prague, Steinitz used to be the primary legitimate global champion, grabbing the identify in 1886 and retaining it for 8 years over 4 championships.
- Emanuel Lasker: Born in Prussia in what’s as of late Poland, Lasker gained the identify in 1894 and held it over six championships.
- Jose Raul Capablanca: Hailing from Cuba, Capablanca gained the identify in 1921.
- Alexander Alekhine: The Russian who got French citizenship wat the identify first in 1927 and thrice then that.
- Max Euwe: The Dutch mathematician wat the identify in 1935.
- Mikhail Botvinnik: The Russian wat the identify 5 instances, first in 1948.
- Vasily Smyslov: The Russian was global champion in 1957.
- Mikhail Tal: The Latvian was global champion in 1960.
- Tigran V Petrosian: The Armenian remained global champion from 1963 to 1969.
- Boris Spassky: The Russian was global champion in 1969.
- Bobby Fischer: The American became global champion in 1972.
- Anatoly Karpov: The Russian held the identify from 1975 to 1985, profitable 5 instances.
- Garry Kasparov: The Russian held the identify from 1985 to 2000, profitable six instances.
- Vladimir Kramnik: The Russian held the identify from 2000 to 2007, profitable thrice.
- Viswanathan Anand: The primary grandmaster and global champion from Republic of India gained the identify in 2007 and held it till 2013, profitable 4 instances.
- Magnus Carlsen: The Norwegian grandmaster gained the identify in 2013 and held it till 2023.
- Ding: The Chinese language grandmaster held the identify of worldwide champion for 20 months then profitable it in April 2023.
What are the reactions to Gukesh’s win?
Indian Top Minister Narendra Modi: Modi posted on X on Thursday: “That is the results of his unprecedented skill, parched paintings and positive decision.
Indian opposition chief Rahul Gandhi: Gandhi additionally posted on X: “Gukesh, you’ve made all of India proud!”
Gukesh, you’ve made all of Republic of India proud! At simply 18, turning into the youngest-ever International Chess Champion is an outstanding fulfillment.
Your pastime and parched paintings remind us that with decision, the rest is imaginable. Congratulations, champ! pic.twitter.com/wcK4YZmVB9
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 12, 2024
Anand: The primary Indian global champion, who has mentored Gukesh and several other alternative younger Indian chess stars. posted on X: “It’s a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India … and for me, a very personal moment of pride.”
Congratulations! It’s a proud hour for chess, a proud hour for Republic of India, a proud hour for WACA, and for me, an overly non-public hour of pleasure. Ding performed an overly thrilling fit and confirmed the champion he’s.@FIDE_chess @WacaChess pic.twitter.com/o3hq26JFPf
— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) December 12, 2024
From former champion Kasparov to the CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, Gukesh gained congratulatory messages on X from a length of society figures.
The sector of cricket wasn’t brandnew both.
The most important cricket franchise from his homeland, the Chennai Tremendous Kings, congratulated the younger champion in a publish on X on Thursday:
The King takes the crown! 👑
Congratulations Gukesh, the youngest ever classical chess global champion! 🥳🙌 @DGukesh pic.twitter.com/Tyw2tK2NDO
— Chennai Tremendous Kings (@ChennaiIPL) December 12, 2024
Gukesh additionally were given a shoutout from former Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar, who’s extensively thought to be one of the vital largest batsmen within the game’s historical past. He wrote in an X publish that Gukesh is “now guiding the next wave of Indian chess prodigies”.
In a match of 64 squares, you’ve opened a global of unending chances. Congratulations, @DGukesh, on turning into the 18th International Champion at simply 18! Following in Vishy’s footsteps, you’re now guiding the after stream of Indian chess prodigies. 🇮🇳♟️🏆
pic.twitter.com/3kPCzGEv1d— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 12, 2024