Indian teen Gukesh becomes youngest world chess champion
NEW DELHI, Dec 15: Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, became the youngest chess world champion when he unseated China's Ding Liren at the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore Thursday. The Indian prodigy broke a record set by Russia's Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he first won the title in 1985.
Asian Zonal chess championship from March 18
Dommaraju has "long been considered a rising star in the chess world after he became a chess grandmaster at 12," The Associated Press said. He won the right to challenge Ding, 32, for the title when he triumphed in the Candidates tournament in April.
The 14-game series was tied after 13 matches, and game 14 "was heading for a draw" when "Ding blundered on move 55" and Dommaraju "exploited the error to clinch the title," the BBC said. "I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder," Ding said afterwards. "When I realized that I was winning," Dommaraju said, "it was probably the best moment of my life."
Dommaraju is "obviously an extraordinary talent," but he's no "lone ranger," the BBC said. "India has over 85 grandmasters, many of whom are not yet of driving age," and its "robust chess ecosystem" is "perhaps the best in the world."
