India's chess sensation, Gukesh Dommaraju, has brought immense pride to the nation by clinching the World Chess Championship title. The 18-year-old made history by defeating China's Ding Liren in the 14-game championship final held in Singapore earlier this week. Gukesh capitalized on a critical error by Ding in the decisive 14th game, securing a 7.5 to 6.5 victory to dethrone the reigning champion. With this win, Gukesh becomes the second Indian, following five-time champion Viswanathan Anand, to claim the prestigious title.
As congratulatory messages poured in from across India and the world, tech billionaire Elon Musk also joined the celebration. Gukesh, now the first Indian athlete to receive recognition from the world's wealthiest individual, was congratulated by Musk on X (formerly Twitter). In response to Gukesh’s celebratory post, "18th @ 18!" marking his achievement, Musk simply replied, "Congratulations!" Musk's post garnered 13,000 likes and nearly 200,000 views.
Emotionally moved by his achievement, Gukesh described this victory as the "best moment of his life." Ding Liren, though disheartened by the loss, praised Gukesh's exceptional skill. Chess legend Garry Kasparov also commended Gukesh's feat, humorously remarking that he had "reached the highest peak of all: making his mother happy."
Gukesh's triumph not only makes him the youngest World Chess Champion, surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record, but also marks the return of the world champion crown to India after 11 years. The last Indian to hold the title was Viswanathan Anand, who lost it in 2013. Notably, Gukesh attributes his success in part to Anand’s mentorship through the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from MSM
.png&w=3840&q=75)
