D Gukesh’s victory at the World Chess Championship signals a generational shift in the sport

Eighteen-year-old Indian prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju has become the new world chess champion, winning the final game of the title match after a dramatic blunder from the reigning champ, China’s Ding Liren.

Gukesh is now the youngest world champion in chess history, and the first Indian to hold the title since Vishwanathan Anand lost it to Magnus Carlsen in 2013.

Ding was gracious in defeat, saying: “Considering [my play], it’s a fair result to lose in the end. I have no regrets. I will continue to play, and I hope I can show the strength like this time.”

For Gukesh, the victory fulfilled a childhood dream. At the age of 11, in a video clip that later went viral, he told an interviewer, “I want to be the youngest world chess champion.”

In a post-match press conference, Gukesh said spotting Ding’s blunder “was probably the best moment of my life”.

The road to the title

Ding became world champion in 2023 after an unlikely journey. He almost missed qualifying due to Covid lockdowns in China, and even then only made it into the championship match when Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin was disqualified over his support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ding is renowned for his kind demeanour and defensive skills, having once achieved a record-breaking 100-game unbeaten streak. However, after defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi to claim the...

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