Gukesh is the youngest & 18th undisputed world chess champion
18-year-old GM Gukesh Dommaraju (DOB 29th May, 2006) set Singapore on fire becoming the 18th undisputed world chess champion, the youngest in the history of chess at the FIDE World Chess Championship 2024, presented by Google, at the Equarius Hotel Sentosa, Singapore here today. In the 14th and final game of the world championship match defending champion Ding Liren chose to Hara-Kiri (Japanese for suicide) when he played 55.Rf2 in a technically drawish rook and bishop ending position. The final official match score read 7.5-6.5 in favor of Gukesh, who will be crowned in an official ceremony by FIDE tomorrow and will be presented a winner’s cheque of US$ 1.35 million.
Gukesh Dommaraju, the second world champion from India and Asia after five time world champion Viswanathan Anand, would be an youth icon and ambassador for the change that world yearns for. The Indian teenager overtakes Russian Garry Kasparov as the youngest world champion in the history of chess, by a few years. This year has gone like a dream for Gukesh, who won the Candidates in Toronto, individual and team gold in the 45th Olympiad, Budapest and add the world crown on top of that, it’s bound to feel dizzy.
Deep inside the heart of the seven year old boy who saw the Anand vs Carlsen 2013 world championship match in his hometown Chennai, the dream seed to enter the glass cubicle to reach the pinnacle of chess got sown. “This dream that I had like more than ten years ago, has been the single most important thing in my life so far. Doing this for myself, for my loved ones and my country, there is probably nothing better than this” said the just crowned world champion Gukesh, who brought the title back to country of it’s birth.
Assisting the teen aged world champion right through were GMs Grzegorz Gajewski (POL), Radoslaw Wojtaszek (POL), Pentala Harikrishna (IND), Vincent Keymer (GER), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL) and IM Jan Klikowski (POL). Add the global celebrity and mental coach Paddy Upton (South Africa) & Indian legend Viswanathan Anand, the winning team is complete.
The Zukertort Opening, under reversed Grunfeld variation set the ball rolling for a quiet start. The stakes for one single game was huge and both the gladiators were well aware of the same. Ding appeared to be coasting for a risk free game with a draw happening on the cards. But going for a pawn down rook and bishop ending wasn’t called for and the 17th world champion put himself in deep discomfort.
With no possibility of losing, Gukesh found himself thrown into a position where he could make life difficult for Ding. The Chennai based Grandmaster continued to push the Chinese who erred in a drawn rook and bishop ending. Offering to exchange his rook, Ding unfortunately failed to see that his bishop is cornered and will be forcibly exchanged taking black to an instant won endgame.
Having noticed the Ding’s Himalayan blunder Gukesh went restless for a moment not believing his eyes. Upon checking it dawned upon him that he’s few minutes away from becoming the next world champion. Here’s the tenenage boy sensation who aced it on the first match point and will be now be a legion for all kids around the world.
Ding instanly covered his face not wanting to see that he threw away a draw and the title in one go. The gentleman that world knows Ding to be, resigned a couple of moves later. “It could have been better but considering yesterday’s lucky survive, it’s a fair result to lose in the end”, said the dethroned world champion Ding Liren, a thorough gentleman. A fitting reverse adage from William Shakespeare would be, “Age cannot wither him, nor custom stale/His infinite variety” for the genial Ding who stole the hearts from Singapore to Santiago. An act that left the new world champion weeping even as the moment started sinking into the boy who became a man.
GM Ding Liren (2728) – GM Gukesh Dommaraju (2783) 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 e6 5. O-O cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nge7 7. c4 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qd1 d4 10. e3 Bc5 11. exd4 Bxd4 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Nb5 Bb6 14. b3 a6 15. Nc3 Bd4 16. Bb2 e5 17. Qd2 Be6 18. Nd5 b5 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Nf4 exf4 21. Bxc6 Bxb2 22. Qxb2 Rb8 23. Rfd1 Qb6 24. Bf3 fxg3 25. hxg3 b4 26. a4 bxa3 27. Rxa3 g6 28. Qd4 Qb5 29. b4 Qxb4 30. Qxb4 Rxb4 31. Ra8 Rxa8 32. Bxa8 g5 33. Bd5 Bf5 34. Rc1 Kg7 35. Rc7 Bg6 36. Rc4 Rb1+ 37. Kg2 Re1 38. Rb4 h5 39. Ra4 Re5 40. Bf3 Kh6 41. Kg1 Re6 42. Rc4 g4 43. Bd5 Rd6 44. Bb7 Kg5 45. f3 f5 46. fxg4 hxg4 47. Rb4 Bf7 48. Kf2 Rd2+ 49. Kg1 Kf6 50. Rb6+ Kg5 51. Rb4 Be6 52. Ra4 Rb2 53. Ba8 Kf6 54. Rf4 Ke5 55. Rf2 Rxf2 56. Kxf2 Bd5 57. Bxd5 Kxd5 58. Ke3 Ke5 0-1
Photo courtesy: FIDE (International Chess Federation)
