Kolkata : Indian 18-years old prodigy Gukesh D became youngest World Champion, defeating China’s Ding Liren, after his blunder in final of World Chess Championship 2024.
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The game, which had already stretched into the fifth hour, appeared set to enter tiebreaks, but a costly mistake by Ding allowed Gukesh to seize victory and claim the crown.
The final match of the World Chess Championship between 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh and reigning champion Ding Liren witnessed a dramatic culmination of their gripping 14-game series in Singapore.
Throughout the match, Ding found himself consistently trailing on the clock, a situation that had become a recurring theme in the series. By the 23rd move, Ding had 23 minutes less on the clock than Gukesh. The Indian challenger, who had shown resilience throughout the championship, used this advantage to push Ding to the edge. Gukesh had prepared well, pulling off novelties in the opening phase that forced Ding into uncomfortable positions.
The pressure mounted as both players had dueled for three weeks, each move building towards a tense conclusion. Game 14, the final classical game of the series, was set to decide the world champion. As the game reached its climax, it seemed as though the match would be heading into tiebreakers, but Gukesh’s persistence and sharp play finally broke Ding’s defenses.
What happened in the game?
The game began in a Nimzo-Indian structure, with both players opting for solid development.
By the middlegame, Gukesh managed to create counterplay with his queenside pawns, especially with the brilliant 26…bxa3(!), which gave him a dangerous passed pawn.
The position remained balanced until move 58, when Ding, under time pressure, miscalculated in a tense endgame. Ding’s crucial mistake occurred as he tried to activate his king and rooks in an effort to push for a draw.
However, his endgame manoeuvre inadvertently allowed Gukesh to trade down into a favourable position where his active pieces and superior pawn structure proved decisive.
Gukesh skillfully exploited this error, turning what seemed like a drawn endgame into a victory.
The final result was sealed after four hours of intense play.
Gukesh’s strategy of relentless pressure throughout the match, coupled with his ability to capitalize on Ding’s momentary lapse, proved to be the winning formula.
With a score of 7.5–6.5, Gukesh dethroned Ding and became the 18th World Chess Champion.
The victory not only broke Garry Kasparov’s long-standing record as the youngest champion, but it also marked a new era for Indian chess. Subsequently, Gukesh joins the legendary Viswanathan Anand as the second Indian to claim the title.
Reflecting on the win, Gukesh shared, “I was dreaming this moment for the last 10 years. I am happy that I realised the dream (and made it) into reality.”
ALL MOVES OF WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 FINAL: GUKESH D (Black) VS DING LIREN (White) –
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.d4 e6 5.0–0 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nge7 7.c4 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qd1 d4 10.e3 Bc5 11.exd4 Bxd4 12.Nc3 0–0 13.Nb5 Bb6 14.b3 a6 15.Nc3 Bd4 16.Bb2 e5 17.Qd2 Be6 18.Nd5 b5 19.cxb5 axb5 20.Nf4 exf4 21.Bxc6 Bxb2 22.Qxb2 Rb8 23.Rfd1 Qb6 24.Bf3 fxg3 25.hxg3 b4 26.a4 bxa3 27.Rxa3 g6 28.Qd4 Qb5 29.b4 Qxb4 30.Qxb4 Rxb4 31.Ra8 Rxa8 32.Bxa8 g5 33.Bd5 Bf5 34.Rc1 Kg7 35.Rc7 Bg6 36.Rc4 Rb1+ 37.Kg2 Re1 38.Rb4 h5 39.Ra4 Re5 40.Bf3 Kh6 41.Kg1 Re6 42.Rc4 g4 43.Bd5 Rd6 44.Bb7 Kg5 45.f3 f5 46.fxg4 hxg4 47.Rb4 Bf7 48.Kf2 Rd2+ 49.Kg1 Kf6 50.Rb6+ Kg5 51.Rb4 Be6 52.Ra4 Rb2 53.Ba8 Kf6 54.Rf4 Ke5 55.Rf2 Rxf2 56.Kxf2 Bd5 57.Bxd5 Kxd5 58.Ke3 59.Ke5 Ding Liren resigned.
