"The evil genius haha" - Fans react as Gukesh Dommaraju beats Ding Liren to become the youngest World Chess Champion

Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju scripted history on Thursday, December 12, by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion. The 18-year-old stunned reigning champion Ding Liren of China in the 2024 World Chess Championship held in Singapore, securing the title in a dramatic finish that left the chess world in awe.

In the final classical game of the 14-game match, Gukesh earned the decisive victory after Ding faltered with a critical blunder on the 55th move. Gukesh's triumph saw him secure 7.5 points to Ding's 6.5, with the last game swinging the match in favor of the young Indian Grandmaster.

The emotional moment saw Gukesh holding back tears while Ding, visibly shaken, conceded defeat.

The road to the title wasn’t easy for Gukesh, who had started the championship on the back foot, losing the opening round just to make a comeback and enter his name in the record books.

Fans erupted in celebration, showering Gukesh Dommaraju with praise for his historic feat on social media.

“From losing round one with white to winning the last round with black, what a fight! Congrats,” one fan wrote on X.

Stand-up comedian and chess enthusiast Samay Raina joined the celebrations, tweeting:

“INDIA!!!!! GUKESH BECOMES THE CHESS WORLD CHAMPION.”

One user humorously dubbed Gukesh "the evil genius.”

“The evil genius haha, congrats to the indian ppl, they deserve that for their passion,” the user wrote.

The twists and turns of the final game left some fans stunned.

“Dude, I went to the restroom, and when I came back, Ding blundered... unbelievable!!!!” one fan exclaimed.

Another fan shared an emotional perspective, writing:

“Here he is, as we all knew. GUKESH DID this. Many people were against him; many were with him. His 19 years of struggle made him this far. Hope he goes on and keeps shattering his limits.”

---

Whose record did Gukesh Dommaraju break to become the youngest World Chess Champion?

With this victory, Gukesh Dommaraju surpassed Garry Kasparov to become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion.

Kasparov held the record for over three decades, having won the title at 22 years, 6 months, and 27 days. Gukesh, in comparison, clinched the crown at just 18 years, 6 months, and 14 days.

This victory also makes Gukesh the second Indian to claim the world chess title, following in the footsteps of the legendary Viswanathan Anand, who last won the championship in 2013.