NEW DELHI — Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju turned the youngest chess world champion Thursday after beating the defending champion Ding Liren of China within the last match of their sequence in Singapore.
Dommaraju, 18, secured 7.5 factors towards 6.5 of his Chinese language rival within the contest, surpassing the achievement of Russia’s Garry Kasparov who gained the title on the age of twenty-two.
The Indian teen prodigy has lengthy been thought-about a rising star within the chess world after he turned a chess grandmaster at 12. He had entered the match because the youngest-ever challenger to the world crown after successful the Candidates event earlier this 12 months.
After securing victory, Dommaraju burst into tears and raised his arms in celebration.
“I used to be dreaming this second for the final 10 years. I’m glad that I spotted the dream (and made it) into actuality,” he advised reporters after his win.
Dommaraju is now the second Indian to win the title after five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand.
“It’s a proud second for chess, a proud second for India… and for me, a really private second of satisfaction,” Anand, who has been a mentor to Dommaraju, mentioned in a submit on X.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the 18-year-old on his “exceptional accomplishment,” calling it “the results of his unparalleled expertise, arduous work and unwavering dedication.”
“His triumph has not solely etched his title within the annals of chess historical past however has additionally impressed tens of millions of younger minds to dream large and pursue excellence,” Modi mentioned in a submit on X.
Thursday’s match was a 14-round long-time classical occasion with a prize fund of $2.5 million.
