India, Dec. 12 -- On Thursday, Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju made history by defeating China's Ding Liren in the pivotal Game 14 of the World Chess Championship held in Singapore. At just 18 years of age, Gukesh became the 18th world champion and the youngest in the history of the championship. The match was intensely contested, with the outcome appearing to lean towards a tie-breaker for most of the game, a scenario that Liren actively sought. However, a critical mistake 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 a significant portion of the match, but ultimately succumbed to a major error, 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 expressed his congratulations on X, stating, "Congratulations! This is a proud moment for chess, for India, for WACA, and personally for me. Ding played an exhilarating match and demonstrated his champion status."

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar also celebrated Gukesh's achievement, commending him for making history. He remarked on X, "In a game of 64 squares, you've opened a world of endless possibilities. Congratulations, @DGukesh, on becoming the 18th World Champion at just 18! Following in Vishy's footsteps, you're now guiding the next wave of Indian chess prodigies."

Additional reactions included acknowledgement of Gukesh's earlier triumph in the Candidate's tournament, which secured his opportunity to challenge Liren for the title. He was supported by a formidable chess team, including Grzegorz Gajewski, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Pentala Harikrishna, Vincent Keymer, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, and Jan Klimkowski. His mental conditioning coach, Paddy Upton, was present alongside his father in Singapore, and Anand also provided valuable assistance.

Read Also: Vladimir Kramnik Criticizes Gukesh's Championship Victory as "Childish Blunder"

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