Indian teen becomes youngest world chess champion

Indian teen Gukesh Dommaraju has go the youngest-ever satellite chess champion aft defeating defending champion China's Ding Liren successful a melodramatic crook connected Thursday.

Dommaraju, astatine property 18, is 4 years younger than Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov was erstwhile helium won the rubric successful 1985 astatine property 22.

The Chennai prodigy has agelong been a superstar successful the chess world, having attained the presumption of chess grandmaster astatine the property of 12.

But helium was seen arsenic the challenger going into the last of the FIDE World Chess Championship lucifer held successful Singapore this year.

Playing connected black, Dommaraju won the crippled aft an under-pressure Ding stumbled made a uncommon mistake portion successful a coagulated position, crippled commentators observed.

The 18-year-old clinched triumph with a last title people of 7.5-6.5 - bringing an extremity to a fortnight of the 2 players' matches being intimately followed by chess fans worldwide.

Ding, China's archetypal satellite chess champion, had faced unit implicit his signifier each year, ever since winning the 2023 title.

The Chinese subordinate had not won a long-format "classical" crippled since January and was seen to beryllium avoiding different top-level competitions.

But helium had enactment successful a beardown opening crippled and won the past lucifer against Dommaraju, suggesting momentum.

Both players had 2 victories apiece and 8 draws going into the last crippled connected Thursday.

After hours of choky play, Ding connected determination 55 moved his rook to a fatally anemic presumption that gave Dommaraju accidental to capitalise.

Immediately recognising his mistake Ding slumped connected the table.

"Ding seemed to person a risk-free accidental to propulsion for a triumph but alternatively liquidated into a pawn-down endgame," Chess.com wrote successful its post-game summary. "It should person been drawn, but Ding blundered arsenic the unit grew."

It was endgame from determination on. Ding resigned 3 moves later.

Dommaraju promptly burst into tears arsenic the country erupted with cheers from spectators.

"I astir apt got truthful affectional due to the fact that I did not truly expect to triumph that position," helium said according to reports.

At property 18, helium is besides lone the 2nd Indian subordinate to go satellite chess champion, aft five-time satellite chess champion Viswanathan Anand.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi was among the archetypal to dependable his praises.

"Historic and exemplary!" helium wrote connected X. "Congratulations to Gukesh D connected his singular accomplishment. This is the effect of his unparalleled talent, hard enactment and unwavering determination."

The FIDE World Chess Championship carries a $2.5m (£1.96m) prize fund.