Fresh off becoming India’s newest sports superstar, Gukesh D is fresh off winning the FIDE World Chess Championship in a decisive and dramatic game 14 of the match against China’s Ding Liren. Gukesh won games 3, 11, and sealed the tie with the black pieces in game 14 to win out over the defending champion in Singapore.

Following his victory over Ding, the 18-year-old Indian grandmaster celebrated his victory and historic win in style in Singapore. Having become the youngest ever world champion in the history of chess, and only the second Indian by following in the footsteps of Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh opted for a taste of adventure sports to celebrate his famous win.

In a video he shared to his social media accounts with the tag “I did it!”. Gukesh shares a video with his followers where he is at the Sentosa Skypark in Sentosa, Singapore. Gukesh is preparing himself for his first bungy jump. Asked how he feels about going for his first bungee jump, Gukesh admits “Scared,” but also states he is excited for the experience.

I did it! pic.twitter.com/FUBpo5m82N

— Gukesh D (@DGukesh) December 16, 2024

Gukesh enjoyed a hero’s return to his hometown of Chennai on Monday, being swarmed by reporters and fans at the airport after landing upon his return to India. Gukesh has quickly established himself as one of India’s brightest stars despite his youth, having helped the country to an Olympiad win in Budapest earlier this year, with his stellar performance on board one helping the men’s team win the gold medal in a historic double for the Indian contingent.

Gukesh entered the FIDE World Chess Championships as the contender after outlasting some of the most noteworthy names in chess at the Candidates event earlier in the year, outperforming senior players and surprising many fans by emerging as the best player from a star-studded group.

In the championship event itself, Gukesh went down early in the tie but bounced back immediately to settle his nerves. It was a tightly contested and cagey affair between Ding and Gukesh, with seven consecutive drawn games between game 4 and game 10. Gukesh put forward an admirable performance to take a lead in game 11, but was distraught as Ding responded with a win in the following game. Nevertheless, speaking to his mentality and preparation, Gukesh kept things level with the black pieces in game 14, showing exemplary patience and resolve as Ding blundered in the endgame and resigned soon after.

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