18-year-old Dommaraju Gukesh defeated Chinese opponent Ding Lizhen in Singapore.
In December 2024, the chess world witnessed a historic event: 18-year-old Indian grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh won the world championship title by defeating the reigning champion, China’s Ding Lizhen, in Singapore.
Path to the title
The match for the world chess crown was held from November 25 to December 13, 2024 on Sentosa Island in Singapore. The prize fund amounted to 2.5 million US dollars. The opponents played 14 games with classical time control. Gukesh won with a score of 7.5:6.5, securing the title of the 18th world chess champion. Bookmaker Elonbet offers a variety of lines on chess tournaments, including matches for the world crown.
Gukesh’s biography and career
Dommaraju Gukesh was born on May 29, 2006 in Chennai, India. In 2019, at the age of 12, he became a grandmaster, ranking third on the list of the youngest grandmasters in the world. His victory against Ding Lizhen made him the youngest world champion in chess history.
Match progress
The world championship match was held from November 25 to December 12, 2024 on Sentosa Island in Singapore and consisted of 14 games. The challenger from India, Gukesh Dommaraju, faced the reigning champion, China’s Ding Lizheng. Gukesh won the match, becoming the youngest (18 years old) world champion in chess history.
Key moments of the match:
- First game. Ding Lizhen, playing black, unexpectedly won, showing high precision and preparation.
- Third game. Gukesh equalized the score, confidently defeating his opponent and showing that he was ready to fight for the title.
- Games four through ten. A series of draws, where both grandmasters demonstrated careful and calibrated play, avoiding unnecessary risk.
- The eleventh game. Gukesh took the lead, winning and moving closer to the coveted title.
- Twelfth game. Ding Lizhen equalized the score, showing his will to win and not letting his opponent get away.
- Thirteenth game. A tense struggle ended in a draw, leaving intrigue before the final game.
- Fourteenth game. In the deciding game, Gukesh, playing black, won after a mistake by Ding Lizhen, becoming the new world champion.
Gukesh’s victory is of great significance for Indian chess. He became the second Indian world champion after Viswanathan Anand, who held the title from 2007 to 2013. Gukesh’s triumph emphasizes the growing popularity and level of chess in India, inspiring a new generation of chess players.