Indian teen becomes youngest world chess champion

Chess grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju of India defeated defending champion Chinese player Ding Liren

Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest-ever world chess champion after beating defending champion China's Ding Liren in a dramatic turn on Thursday.

Dommaraju, 18, is four years younger than the former record-holder, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he won the title in 1985.

The Chennai prodigy has long been a superstar in the chess world, having attained the status of chess grandmaster at the age of 12.

But he was seen as the outside challenger going into the final round of the FIDE World Chess Championship, held in Singapore this year.

Playing on black, Dommaraju won the game after Ding, who had been in a solid position, made a fatal foolish move that gave up his last powerful piece.

His blunder delivered victory to the 18-year-old, who until now had been ranked fifth in the world and second in his own country.

The 14-game World Championship competition had been closely watched by chess fans around the world this past fortnight.

The two grandmasters at play on Thursday in the four-hour long battle

Going into the final game on Thursday, Dommaraju and Ding had eight draws and two wins apiece.

Players receive one point for a win and half a point each for a draw. Dommaraju claimed the title on Thursday with a final score of 7.5 to 6.5, becoming just the 18th world chess champion.

The teenager comes from Chennai, a city known as India's chess capital for having produced so many national champions.

But there were no elite chess players in his family – he was enrolled in chess sessions after school because his father, a surgeon, and his mother, a medical professor, needed somewhere to put him.

His talent was spotted there by coaches, who encouraged his family to invest in his training. In high school in 2019, he was crowned a grandmaster at the age of 12 years and seven months – the third-youngest in history.

The teenager has spoken before about how yoga and mindful thinking has helped him deal with the pressures of his chess career.

Gukesh Dommaraju

He stayed focused on Thursday as his opponent, the defending champion Ding, appeared to buckle under the pressure.

Ding has faced questions over his form all year since winning the title in 2023 becoming China's first chess world champion.

For most of the year, he had taken a break from chess, having spoken about his struggles with depression and mental health.

But his stylish win over Dommaraju in the opening game of the championship last month, and a victory in Round 12, had suggested momentum.

Thursday's game saw several hours of tight play, with commentators suggesting it was heading to a draw.

But on the 55th move, Ding committed a fatal blunder – moving his rook into a position to be taken.

Immediately recognising his mistake, he slumped on the table.

Ding reacts to his blunder

"Ding seemed to have a risk-free chance to push for a win, but instead liquidated into a pawn-down endgame," Chess.com wrote in its post-game summary.

"It should have been drawn, but Ding blundered as the pressure grew."

He resigned three moves later. Dommaraju promptly burst into tears as the room erupted with cheers.

"I probably got so emotional because I did not really expect to win that position," he said.

At age 18, he is only the second Indian player to become world chess champion, after five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand who last won in 2012.

"It's a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India… and for me, a very personal moment of pride."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi was also among the first public figures showering praise.

"Historic and exemplary!" he wrote on X. "Congratulations to Gukesh D on his remarkable accomplishment. This is the result of his unparalleled talent, hard work and unwavering determination."

The FIDE World Chess Championship carries a $2.5m (£1.96m) prize fund.