Singapore witnessed history on Thursday as India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, aged 18, became the youngest undisputed world chess champion. Dommaraju defeated China’s reigning champion, Ding Liren, in a dramatic final at the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship.
The game, played at Resorts World Sentosa, concluded with Liren resigning after an unexpected endgame blunder. Dommaraju’s tactical brilliance secured his victory with a score of 7.5 to 6.5 in the 14-match series. This triumph not only crowned Dommaraju as the youngest champion in chess history but also marked him as the second Indian to achieve this feat, following Viswanathan Anand.
“I aimed to push in every game, knowing it just takes one moment for the strategy to pay off,” said Dommaraju, whose relentless style turned a potential draw into victory.
Liren, 32, acknowledged the teenager’s prowess, calling him a “true champion” despite the crushing loss.
Born to a doctor father and microbiologist mother, Dommaraju began playing chess at seven. By 12, he became India’s youngest grandmaster. His rise includes defeating Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana in previous tournaments, with the Candidates Tournament win in April earning him a shot at the world title.
Dommaraju’s win surpasses the record of Russia’s Garry Kasparov, who claimed the championship at 22, cementing the Indian prodigy’s legacy in chess history.
