YOUNGEST-EVER WORLD CHESS CHAMP AWARDED
Gukesh Dommaraju has been named the youngest-ever classical chess world champion.
The 18-year-old beat former world champion Ding Liren 7.5 – 6.5 in a best-of-14 final in Singapore on Thursday.
After a blunder from Ding, the youngster managed to claim the title. Gukesh broke into tears when his victory was confirmed. Ding, on the other hand, sat with his head in his hands in disbelief.
To celebrate, Gukesh lifted his arms. He was then escorted out of the building where his dad waited. The two of them had a long embrace.
Fans in Gukesh’s home country of India celebrated the teenager’s victory by cheering and hugging as he was awarded the 18th world chess champion title.
Gukesh is India’s second World Champion. The first ever Indian world chess champion was Viswanathan Anand.
CNN reports that after the match, a jubilant Gukesh admitted he hadn’t recognized Ding’s mistake in the final game. But when he realized his Chinese opponent had made the crucial error, he said “it was probably the best moment of my life”.
Image credit: Facebook