India’s Gukesh Dommaraju Becomes Youngest Undisputed World Chess Champion
India’s 18-year-old grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju has made history by becoming the youngest undisputed world chess champion. The teenager achieved the feat after beating China’s Ding Liren in a grueling tournament of 14 match days in Singapore.
Gukesh revealed that he had been dreaming of becoming world champion for over 10 years, ever since he watched Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand lose the title to Magnus Carlsen in 2013. The experience inspired him to work towards bringing the title back to India.
The teenager faced some early jitters, losing the opening game to his more experienced opponent. However, he gained confidence as the tournament progressed, winning three matches and drawing nine. In the final game, he tenaciously pressed on, forcing a blunder by Ding that secured his victory.
Gukesh attributed his mental toughness to advice from his idol Anand, whom he met in the lift after the game. Anand, a five-time world chess champion, was among the first to congratulate the young champion, along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gukesh underlined that becoming world champion was just the beginning of his goals, and he plans to stay at the top for as long as possible, aiming to eventually reach the level of greatness achieved by Magnus Carlsen, the highest-rated chess player in history.
The victory comes with a prize fund of $2.5 million, with Gukesh taking home $1.35 million. He is determined to continue working hard to maintain his level of play and eventually surpass the likes of Carlsen.