In a remarkable finish to the World Chess Championship 2024, Indian Grandmaster (GM), D Gukesh, 18 years old, dethroned the defending World Chess Champion, Chinese Grandmaster (GM), Ding Liren, in the 14th and last game to win the title. This win not only made Gukesh the youngest world chess champion of all time but also made him the second Indian grandmaster to become world chess champion after the great Viswanathan Anand.
The championship finale unfolded with both players tied at 6.5 points after a grueling series of 13 games. The decisive Game 14 promised high stakes, with both contenders needing an outright win to claim the title. Ding, master of the white, abandoned his standard London System and countered with the reverse Grünfeld opening provocatively (a risky maneuver indicating a determined refusal to settle for a drawn match).
Gukesh unperturbed by the offensive pressure of the defending champion answered with calculated and precise play while keeping a stable central pawn formation. The early exchanges led to an asymmetrical pawn structure, a position so unique that even chess databases found no prior examples.
Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh did not give any chance to Chinese opponent
In the middle game, Ding tried to lay traps, but Gukesh showed stunning composure and tactics understanding refusing to provide any easy chance to his opponent. When the tension increased, the game changed to a deep endgame on the back of a spectacular exchange of rooks and queens.
At the endgame, Gukesh’s endurance and endgame technique made the difference. Under extreme time pressure, Ding took a fatal blunder in the rook-bishop endgame. Seizing on this, Gukesh made a precise and devastating end to achieve the historic victory.
This historic result secures the position of Gukesh in chess history as the 18th world champion. His relentless drive and pressure resistance, which has even been compared with India’s first grandmaster, Anand, have been instrumental.
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