Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju made history on Thursday by defeating China's Ding Liren in the pivotal Game 14 of the World Chess Championship held in Singapore. At just 18 years old, Gukesh became the 18th world champion and the youngest in history. The match was intensely competitive, with many believing it would end in a tie-breaker, a scenario that Liren actively sought. However, a significant error by Liren during the 55th move of the endgame led to his resignation, leaving Gukesh overwhelmed with emotion and in tears.

In the decisive game, Gukesh played with the black pieces and experienced a shaky beginning. Liren maintained a favourable position for most of the match, but ultimately succumbed, resulting in a final score of 6.5-7.5. Following his victory, Gukesh shared a heartfelt moment with his father before collapsing into the arms of mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, visibly distressed.

Indian chess icon Viswanathan Anand took to X to extend his congratulations to Gukesh, stating, “Congratulations! It's a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India, a proud moment for WACA, and for me, a very personal moment of pride. Ding played a very exciting match and showed the champion he is.”

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar also participated in the celebration, praising Gukesh for making history. On X, Gukesh expressed, “In a game of 64 squares, you have unlocked a realm of infinite possibilities. Congratulations, @DGukesh, on achieving the title of World Champion at the age of 18! Following in Vishy’s legacy, you are now mentoring the next generation of Indian chess talents.”

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Gukesh previously triumphed in the Candidates tournament, thereby securing his opportunity to challenge Liren for the title. He is supported by a formidable chess team that includes Grzegorz Gajewski, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Pentala Harikrishna, Vincent Keymer, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, and Jan Klimkowski. Additionally, he has benefited from the guidance of mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who accompanied him and his father in Singapore. Furthermore, he received assistance from Anand.

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