• Source:JND
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Gukesh Dommaraju, the 18-year-old chess sensation from India, made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion. In a thrilling 14-game match, Gukesh secured a historic win over China's Ding Liren with a 7.5-6.5 victory. His achievement was praised by many personalities across the world including Tesla chief Elon Musk. 

Gukesh’s victory ended Liren's reign in a thrilling contest that stretched to the final moments in Singapore. “I am just living my dream," Gukesh said on Thursday. 

The young chess champion shared that his dream of becoming a world champion was ignited during the 2013 World Championship match between his idol, Viswanathan Anand, and Magnus Carlsen.

"In 2013 when I saw Magnus Carlsen and Vishy Sir in the World Championship match, I thought it would be super cool to be inside the Glass room one day, to actually be there and sit there and see the Indian flag next to me would probably be the best moment. When Magnus won, I thought I really wanted to be the one to bring back the title to India. I had said in 2017 that I wanted to be the youngest world champion in history," Gukesh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai also congratulated D Gukesh for winning the world championship trophy. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Pichai wrote, “Congrats to Gukesh D, incredible to become the youngest world champion at 18!!”

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Tendulkar, Anand Mahindra, and several prominent personalities praised Gukesh for his milestone. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a Rs 5 crore reward for the young grandmaster from Chennai, calling his victory a "monumental achievement."

Gukesh has become the second Indian, following the legendary Viswanathan Anand, to secure the title of world chess champion that Anand himself held five times during his career.

About D Gukesh

D Gukesh was born on May 29, 2006, in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai, into a Telugu family. His father, Dr Rajinikanth, is an ENT surgeon, and his mother, Dr Padma, is a microbiologist. Gukesh developed an interest in chess at the age of seven and quickly began excelling in the game. 

In 2015, he reached a significant milestone by winning the U9 category at the Asian School Chess Championships. By the age of 12, in 2018, he triumphed in the U12 World Youth Chess Championship. 

During the same year, he made a remarkable achievement by securing five gold medals in various formats—rapid, blitz, and classical—at the Asian Youth Chess Championships, both in individual and team events.