How India’s Gukesh Dommaraju became chess king in a cricket crazy country | Explainer News

Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju has turn into the youngest world chess champion ever after defeating defending champion Ding Liren of China.

Gukesh’s win on Thursday got here within the final sport of the 14-game World Chess Championship in Singapore. The in any other case cricket-crazed India is jubilant on the 18-year-old’s victory.

Right here is extra about Gukesh, and the way he clinched the world title:

Who’s Gukesh?

Gukesh comes from Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He attended Chennai’s Velammal Nexus College.

He began taking part in chess on the age of seven, Gukesh stated in an interview uploaded in 2019 by the Gibraltar Worldwide Chess Pageant.

“Chess is so complicated, so I simply find it irresistible,” Gukesh stated within the video. “I need to turn into a world champion.”

By the age of 12, Gukesh had turn into a grandmaster – the very best title a chess participant can attain – making him the third-youngest grandmaster in historical past and the youngest one from India.

Gukesh sees magnificence and philosophy in pawns, bishops and boards. A YouTube video uploaded by the chess information publication ChessBase India reveals the cabinets of his room in his Chennai home stacked with trophies and chess books, comparable to Below the Floor by Jan Markos and Yochanan Afek’s Sensible Chess Magnificence.

Chennai has come to be generally known as the chess capital of India. Out of the 85 chess grandmasters in India, 31 are from Tamil Nadu. The state is even dwelling to a temple devoted to the sport

Is he the youngest world chess champion?

Sure.

Earlier than Gukesh, Russian legend Garry Kasparov was the youngest to turn into world champion on the age of twenty-two in 1985.

How did Gukesh win?

Gukesh certified for the championship in April by successful the boys’s Candidates Match of the Worldwide Chess Federation (FIDE). He was the youngest candidate to win the Candidates Match.

He competed towards seven different contestants within the occasion held in April in Toronto, Canada. The winner of the double round-robin event goes on to problem the defending champion for the world title.

Ding, 32, grew to become world champion in 2023. Beginning November 25, Gukesh and Ding confronted off over 14 intense video games.

In chess, a participant wins one level for a win and half some extent for a draw.

Ding went into the lead by successful the primary sport. The second spherical resulted in a tie.

Gukesh gained the third sport, tying issues up with Ding at 1.5 every. They remained tied for a number of video games, drawing every of them.

Within the eleventh sport, Gukesh, taking part in with white, took the lead after Ding made a blunder. However Ding bounced again by successful the twelfth sport, levelling the taking part in discipline as soon as once more. The thirteenth sport resulted in a draw.

The successful second

Gukesh performed with black within the 14th and closing sport. Halfway via, a draw appeared imminent. However Ding made the error of transferring his final highly effective piece, his rook, off a robust place. Ding’s mistake took Gukesh abruptly, and he appeared intently on the board and calculated his subsequent strikes.

After realising his mistake, Ding was visibly disenchanted and resigned three strikes later, conceding the world champion title to Gukesh.

“It took me some time to grasp I blundered. … I feel I performed my greatest event within the 12 months.

“I may very well be higher, however contemplating yesterday’s luck, it’s a good end result to lose ultimately. I’ve no regrets,” Ding stated at a information convention after the sport, saying he would proceed to play chess.

When Gukesh realised he had gained, he broke into tears. Chatting with reporters after the sport, Gukesh stated he initially didn’t realise Ding’s blunder however when he did: “It was most likely the very best second of my life.”

Gukesh stated Ding “fought like a real champion”.

Who’re the sooner 17 champions?

1. Wilhelm Steinitz: Born in Prague, Steinitz was the primary official world champion, grabbing the title in 1886 and holding it for eight years over 4 championships.
2. Emanuel Lasker: Born in Prussia in what’s at the moment Poland, Lasker gained the title in 1894 and held it over six championships.
3. Jose Raul Capablanca: Hailing from Cuba, Capablanca gained the title in 1921.
4. Alexander Alekhine: The Russian who obtained French citizenship won the title first in 1927 and thrice after that.
5. Max Euwe: The Dutch mathematician won the title in 1935.
6. Mikhail Botvinnik: The Russian won the title 5 instances, first in 1948.
7. Vasily Smyslov: The Russian grew to become world champion in 1957.
8. Mikhail Tal: The Latvian grew to become world champion in 1960.
9. Tigran V Petrosian: The Armenian remained world champion from 1963 to 1969.
10. Boris Spassky: The Russian grew to become world champion in 1969.
11. Bobby Fischer: The American became world champion in 1972.
12. Anatoly Karpov: The Russian held the title from 1975 to 1985, successful 5 instances.
13. Garry Kasparov: The Russian held the title from 1985 to 2000, successful six instances.
14. Vladimir Kramnik: The Russian held the title from 2000 to 2007, successful thrice.
15. Viswanathan Anand: The primary grandmaster and world champion from India gained the title in 2007 and held it till 2013, successful 4 instances.
16. Magnus Carlsen: The Norwegian grandmaster gained the title in 2013 and held it till 2023.
17. Ding: The Chinese language grandmaster held the title of world champion for 20 months after successful it in April 2023.

What are the reactions to Gukesh’s win?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Modi posted on X on Thursday: “That is the results of his unparalleled expertise, laborious work and unwavering dedication.”

Indian opposition chief Rahul Gandhi: Gandhi additionally posted on X: “Gukesh, you’ve made all of India proud!”

Gukesh, you’ve made all of India proud! At simply 18, turning into the youngest-ever World Chess Champion is an exceptional achievement.

Your ardour and laborious work remind us that with dedication, something is feasible. Congratulations, champ! pic.twitter.com/wcK4YZmVB9

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 12, 2024

Anand: The primary Indian world champion, who has mentored Gukesh and several other different younger Indian chess stars. posted on X: “It’s a proud second for chess, a proud second for India … and for me, a really private second of delight.”

Congratulations! It is a proud second for chess, a proud second for India, a proud second for WACA, and for me, a really private second of delight. Ding performed a really thrilling match and confirmed the champion he’s.@FIDE_chess @WacaChess pic.twitter.com/o3hq26JFPf

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) December 12, 2024

From former champion Kasparov to the CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, Gukesh obtained congratulatory messages on X from a spread of public figures.

The world of cricket wasn’t untouched both.

The foremost cricket franchise from his hometown, the Chennai Tremendous Kings, congratulated the younger champion in a submit on X on Thursday:

The King takes the crown! 👑

Congratulations Gukesh, the youngest ever classical chess world champion! 🥳🙌 @DGukesh pic.twitter.com/Tyw2tK2NDO

— Chennai Tremendous Kings (@ChennaiIPL) December 12, 2024

Gukesh additionally acquired a shoutout from former Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar, who’s broadly considered one of many biggest batsmen within the sport’s historical past. He wrote in an X submit that Gukesh is “now guiding the subsequent wave of Indian chess prodigies”.

In a sport of 64 squares, you have opened a world of limitless potentialities. Congratulations, @DGukesh, on turning into the 18th World Champion at simply 18! Following in Vishy’s footsteps, you are now guiding the subsequent wave of Indian chess prodigies. 🇮🇳♟️🏆
pic.twitter.com/3kPCzGEv1d

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 12, 2024