Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, has become the youngest world chess champion in the history of the game, dethroning Chinese star grandmaster Ding Liren Thursday in their title match in Singapore.
Mr. Gukesh, part of a rising wave of Indian stars, won the 14th and final game of his match with Mr. Ding to take the title by a 7 1/2 – 6 1/2 score.
Despite having the disadvantage of the Black pieces, Mr. Gukesh won a pawn against his rival and took advantage of a blunder by his opponent in a relatively even endgame. In the final position, Mr. Gukesh was preparing to push through a pawn for a new queen when Mr. Ding resigned from the game and the match after 58 moves.
The new Indian champ won three games in the match to Mr. Ding’s two victories, with the rest of the games being drawn. Mr. Ding, the first world champion from China, won the title in 2023 after longtime champ Magnus Carlsen of Norway voluntarily vacated the throne.
Mr. Gukesh breaks the record for youngest champion set by Russian great Mikhail Tal, who won the crown in 1960 at the age of 23.
Mr. Gukesh is the second grandmaster from his country to hold the world title. Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was the undisputed world champion for six years starting in 2007.