How India’s Gukesh Dommaraju became chess king in a cricket crazy country

Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest world chess champion ever after defeating defending champion Ding Liren of China.

Gukesh’s win on Thursday came in the last game of the 14-game World Chess Championship in Singapore. The otherwise cricket-crazed India is jubilant at the 18-year-old’s victory.

Here is more about Gukesh, and how he clinched the world title:

Who is Gukesh?

Gukesh comes from Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He attended Chennai’s Velammal Nexus School.

He started playing chess at the age of seven, Gukesh said in an interview uploaded in 2019 by the Gibraltar International Chess Festival.

“Chess is so complex, so I just love it,” Gukesh said in the video. “I want to become a world champion.”

By the age of 12, Gukesh had become a grandmaster – the highest title a chess player can attain – making him the third-youngest grandmaster in history and the youngest one from India.

Gukesh sees beauty and philosophy in pawns, bishops and boards. A YouTube video uploaded by the chess news publication ChessBase India shows the shelves of his room in his Chennai house stacked with trophies and chess books, such as Under the Surface by Jan Markos and Yochanan Afek’s Practical Chess Beauty.

Chennai has come to be known as the chess capital of India. Out of the 85 chess grandmasters in India, 31 are from Tamil Nadu. The state is even home to a temple dedicated to the game

Is he the youngest world chess champion?

Yes.

Before Gukesh, Russian legend Garry Kasparov was the youngest to become world champion at the age of 22 in 1985.

How did Gukesh win?

Gukesh qualified for the championship in April by winning the men’s Candidates Tournament of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). He was the youngest candidate to win the Candidates Tournament.

He competed against seven other contestants in the event held in April in Toronto, Canada. The winner of the double round-robin tournament goes on to challenge the defending champion for the world title.

Ding, 32, became world champion in 2023. Starting November 25, Gukesh and Ding faced off over 14 intense games.

In chess, a player wins one point for a win and half a point for a draw.

Ding went into the lead by winning the first game. The second round ended in a tie.

Gukesh won the third game, tying things up with Ding at 1.5 each. They remained tied for multiple games, drawing each of them.

In the 11th game, Gukesh, playing with white, took the lead after Ding made a blunder. But Ding bounced back by winning the 12th game, levelling the playing field once again. The 13th game resulted in a draw.

The winning moment

Gukesh played with black in the 14th and final game. Midway through, a draw appeared imminent. But Ding made the mistake of moving his last powerful piece, his rook, off a strong position. Ding’s mistake took Gukesh by surprise, and he looked intently at the board and calculated his next moves.

After realising his mistake, Ding was visibly disappointed and resigned three moves later, conceding the world champion title to Gukesh.

“It took me a while to realise I blundered. … I think I played my best tournament in the year.

“I could be better, but considering yesterday’s luck, it’s a fair result to lose in the end. I have no regrets,” Ding said at a news conference after the game, saying he would continue to play chess.

When Gukesh realised he had won, he broke into tears. Speaking to reporters after the game, Gukesh said he initially did not realise Ding’s blunder but when he did: “It was probably the best moment of my life.”

Gukesh said Ding “fought like a true champion”.

Who are the earlier 17 champions?

1. Wilhelm Steinitz: Born in Prague, Steinitz was the first official world champion, grabbing the title in 1886 and holding it for eight years over four championships.
2. Emanuel Lasker: Born in Prussia in what is today Poland, Lasker won the title in 1894 and held it over six championships.
3. Jose Raul Capablanca: Hailing from Cuba, Capablanca won the title in 1921.
4. Alexander Alekhine: The Russian who obtained French citizenship won the title first in 1927 and three times after that.
5. Max Euwe: The Dutch mathematician won the title in 1935.
6. Mikhail Botvinnik: The Russian won the title five times, first in 1948.
7. Vasily Smyslov: The Russian became world champion in 1957.
8. Mikhail Tal: The Latvian became world champion in 1960.
9. Tigran V Petrosian: The Armenian remained world champion from 1963 to 1969.
10. Boris Spassky: The Russian became world champion in 1969.
11. Bobby Fischer: The American became world champion in 1972.
12. Anatoly Karpov: The Russian held the title from 1975 to 1985, winning five times.
13. Garry Kasparov: The Russian held the title from 1985 to 2000, winning six times.
14. Vladimir Kramnik: The Russian held the title from 2000 to 2007, winning three times.
15. Viswanathan Anand: The first grandmaster and world champion from India won the title in 2007 and held it until 2013, winning four times.
16. Magnus Carlsen: The Norwegian grandmaster won the title in 2013 and held it until 2023.
17. Ding: The Chinese grandmaster held the title of world champion for 20 months after winning it in April 2023.

What are the reactions to Gukesh’s win?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Modi posted on X on Thursday: “This is the result of his unparalleled talent, hard work and unwavering determination.

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi: Gandhi also posted on X: “Gukesh, you’ve made all of India proud!”

Gukesh, you’ve made all of India proud! At just 18, becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion is a phenomenal achievement.

Your passion and hard work remind us that with determination, anything is possible. Congratulations, champ! pic.twitter.com/wcK4YZmVB9

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 12, 2024

Anand: The first Indian world champion, who has mentored Gukesh and several other young 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 moment for chess, a proud moment for India, a proud moment for WACA, and for me, a very personal moment of pride. Ding played a very exciting match and showed the champion he is.@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 received congratulatory messages on X from a range of public figures.

The world of cricket wasn’t untouched either.

The major cricket franchise from his hometown, the Chennai Super Kings, congratulated the young champion in a post on X on Thursday:

The King takes the crown! 👑

Congratulations Gukesh, the youngest ever classical chess world champion! 🥳🙌 @DGukesh pic.twitter.com/Tyw2tK2NDO

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) December 12, 2024

Gukesh also got a shoutout from former Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the sport’s history. He wrote in an X post that Gukesh is “now guiding the next wave of Indian chess prodigies”.

In a game of 64 squares, you’ve opened a world of endless possibilities. Congratulations, @DGukesh, on becoming the 18th World Champion at just 18! Following in Vishy’s footsteps, you’re now guiding the next wave of Indian chess prodigies. 🇮🇳♟️🏆
pic.twitter.com/3kPCzGEv1d

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 12, 2024

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