Indian prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, claiming the title at the age of 18 by defeating defending champion Ding Liren of China in a dramatic conclusion to the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore.
Dommaraju’s victory shatters the 39-year-old record held by Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he won in 1985. The Chennai native, who attained Grandmaster status at just 12, secured the championship with a final score of 7.5 to 6.5 in the 14-game competition.
The decisive moment came in the final game on Thursday. With the score tied and the game seemingly headed for a draw, Ding Liren committed a fatal blunder on the 55th move, moving his rook into a vulnerable position.
Ding, who had taken a break from chess this year due to struggles with mental health, slumped over the table in immediate recognition of his error, resigning three moves later. Gukesh, who won the game playing with black pieces, admitted he was emotional because he “did not really expect to win that position.”
Gukesh is only the second Indian player to win the World Chess Championship, following five-time champion Viswanathan Anand. The young champion, who credits yoga and mindful thinking for helping him deal with career pressures, was praised by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called his accomplishment “Historic and exemplary!” The FIDE World Chess Championship carries a prize fund of $2.5 million.
The prize fund was structured with an allocation for each game won, and the remaining pot was split equally.
| Category | Calculation | Amount Awarded to Gukesh |
| Game Wins | 3 Wins x $200,000 per win | $600,000 |
| Split Pot | Remainder of the fund ($2.5M – $1M) / 2 | $750,000 |
| Total Prize Money | $1,350,000 |
This amounts to $1.35 million in prize money for his historic victory. As the runner-up, Ding Liren took home the remaining $1.15 million.
