Who Is D Gukesh? Indian Grandmaster Who Beat Ding Liren To Become Youngest Ever World Chess Champion

The World Chess Championship has a new king as one of India's grandmasters has taken over from China's Ding Liren to become the new champion of the world. D. Gukesh has officially become the 18th World Chess Champion after engaging in a thrilling showdown with title-holder Ding Liren in Singapore. It is a historic moment for India as after Viswanathan Anand, a new king has emerged in the realm of chess. Despite being outplayed a couple of times and a lot of the game ending up in draws, the 18-year-old maintained his composure. The final match was pivotal as a huge blunder cost his opponent the title. Let's take a deep dive into the life of the newly crowned World Chess Champion from India.

Who Is D Gukesh? Check Out The Legacy Of India's Second-Only World Chess Champion

D Gukesh, also known as Gukesh Dommaraju, was born on May 29th, 2006, in the capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. He hails from a Telegu family and his father, Dr. Rajinikanth, is an ENT surgeon. His mother, Dr. Padma, is a microbiologist. Gukesh found chess at the age of seven and his impressive performance left his chess mentors impressed. As a young kid, the Indian Grandmaster would practice for one hour and would do it three days a week. Gukesh bagged his first accolade in 2015 when he took part in the Under 9 category of the Asian School Chess Championships in 2015 and went on to win the World Youth Chess Championships in the Under 12 section. Gukesh Dommaraju won five gold medals when he was 12 a the Asian Youth Chess Championships in the U12 section. He then clinched the title of International Master in 2017 and became the third-youngest GM of all time at the age of 12 years, 7 months and 17 days.

The Indian Grandmaster came to the public eye after he surpassed Viswanathan Anand as the top-ranked Indian chess player in 2023. He ended Anand's 37-year reign of sitting at the top of the table. But he did not stop there and continued to make waves as in 2024, Gukesh won the Candidates Tournament and became the youngest ever to win it. What's significant about it is that he became the contender for the World Chess Championship against the defending champion, China's Ding Liren. Gukesh's resilience and continued efforts helped India clinch the first-ever Chess Olympiad gold, where he teamed up with R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Pentala Harikrishna and Vidit Gujrathi. The 18-year-old is now the second World Chess Champion from India after Viswanathan Anand, who is a four-time Champion.

Also Read: 'Proud Moment For India': Viswanathan Anand Pens Heartfelt Note For D Gukesh After His World Triumph

Gukesh Bags The Crown After Thrilling Game 14 Showdown vs Ding Liren

Speaking of the match, D Gukesh won the final classical time control game of the 14-game match, which for the most part appeared to be headed for a draw, and thus secured the necessary 7.5 points against Liren's 6.5. After defeating Chinese champion Ding Liren in the fourteenth and final game of an intense match, he became the youngest world chess champion at the age of 18. He will receive a sizable portion of the USD 2.5 million prize fund as the title winner.

Also Read: 'Dream Big And Pursue Excellence': PM Modi Hails D Gukesh's World Triumph, Calls It Exemplary