At the age of 18, D Gukesh was officially recognized as the world chess champion by FIDE on Friday. He received a medal and was adorned with a garland. Draped in the Indian flag, he ascended the stage, where FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich presented him with the World Championship trophy. Upon receiving the trophy, he paused to reflect on the moment, smiled at the enthusiastic audience, and posed for photographs.

The highlight of the event was his speech. He expressed his gratitude, stating, “Thank you, thank you, everyone. It feels like I have lived this moment a million times in my head. Every morning when I woke up, this moment was the reason why I woke up, the reason why I did every little thing so far. For me to actually be here, hold this trophy and experience this moment in reality, it means more than anything else in my life. Very few people get the opportunity to live this moment in their lives, I am very glad to be one of them.”

Gukesh also extended his appreciation to his opponent, Ding Liren. He remarked, “Firstly, I would like to thank the organizers of this match; they did an amazing job. I am super glad to be in a beautiful country such as Singapore and to play this match in beautiful conditions, so huge thanks to Singaporeans and the organizing committee. I would also like to thank my opponent, Ding Liren. He is, in my eyes, a true champion. We saw that, despite a lot of pressure on him, he was able to put on a huge fight, and this match was just the show it is because of his fighting spirit and the kind of fighter that he is. I really admire you. Thank you for this amazing fight.”

Gukesh emerged victorious in the pivotal 14th Game against the reigning champion Liren in Singapore on Thursday. The match was characterized by fluctuating fortunes from the outset, as Liren sought to push for a tie-breaker. However, a significant error by the Chinese Grandmaster during the 55th move determined the outcome, prompting Liren to resign and accept a defeat of 6.5-7.5 in the World Chess Championship. Gukesh's triumph at the Candidates tournament in April enabled him to qualify for this title challenge against Liren.

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