In a historic milestone for Indian chess, D Gukesh emerged victorious in the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship, defeating Ding Liren of China.
With this title win, the 18-year-old Gukesh becomes the youngest-ever player to have clinched the title, beating out the legendary Garry Kasparov, who held the record since 1985.
A Championship for the Ages
Gukesh’s triumph came from a highly charged series of matches that revealed his tactical depth and uncanny ability to stay calm under pressure.
In the game that decided the championship, Gukesh seized on an obvious blunder from Ding during the middle game.
The blunder by Ding allowed Gukesh to take control via a sequence of precise tactical moves, starting with the game-altering 23.Ne2, which rendered Ding incapable of putting up a fight from that point on.
A Journey of Mastery and Perseverance
Gukesh is an up-and-coming player who will carry a lot of weight on his shoulders after the demise of Anand as India’s first world champion.
Gukesh’s preparation for the championship showed hard work, as he dedicated much time to studying Ding’s style of play and past matches.
Ding, known for his doggedness and creative play, failed to manage his time well throughout the contest.
The failure to secure the advantage of time came back to haunt him to a certain extent in the final minutes when Gukesh’s poised execution of final moves sealed the deal and the championship.
Setting Records and Inspiring a Nation
Gukesh’s triumph is yet another major milestone for Indian chess and continues the momentum built during Anand’s wars and the spurt of new players such as Praggnanandhaa.
With this win, Gukesh became the youngest world champion of all time and earned India its second FIDE World Championship title.
There would naturally be euphoria from chess players throughout the globe. Many congratulated him, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many others from the sporting world.
Establishing himself as the youngest champion and garnering admiration from all parts of the chess world, Gukesh still sealed his high ambitions toward honing his skills further.
“This is just the beginning. My dream is to bring chess to the forefront of global sports,” he said at the press conference after the match.
The victory of Gukesh at the World Chess Championship is not merely a victory for him; it is a watershed moment for Indian chess.
There have been many young Indian talents taking the international tournament by storm; and this feat is expected to open the gates for many more aspirants taking to the game.
The other thing about the championship was the sheer brilliance of Gukesh’s strategies.
This was most evident during the tournament when he demonstrated an incredible capacity to adapt by blending classical with innovative play.
His consistency with mental focus and tactical sharpness made him a class apart; Ding Liren and the rest of the chess community were simply left astounded.
As the world now turns to him, he is definitely going to play a big role in fabricating the future of chess.
