India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, becomes youngest world chess champ

Anadolu, Philippine News Agency

Dommaraju became the second Indian to win the title after five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand. (Pexels photo)

ANKARA – Gukesh Dommaraju, an Indian 18-year-old player, became the youngest world chess champion on Friday after defeating former Chinese world champion Ding Liren.

“After almost a month of fierce competition, against an opponent who never gave in, 18-year-old Grandmaster from Chennai Gukesh D. raised the winner’s trophy this evening, in the magnificent ballrooms of the Equarius Hotel Sentosa,” the FIDE World Championship said in a statement.

Dommaraju and Ding faced off in the World Chess Championship in Singapore, where Dommaraju won 6.

5 points in the championship, defeating his opponent by one point.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Dommaraju on X.

Dommaraju became the second Indian to win the title after five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.

Dommaraju also took the title from Russian Garry Kasparov, who was the youngest World Chess Champion in 1985 at the age of 22. (Anadolu)