India’s Gukesh Dommaraju became a chess grandmaster aged 12 years, seven months and 17 days. Yesterday, aged 18, he became the youngest world champion in history, breaking the record set by Garry Kasparov in 1985 by four years.
Dommaraju, from Chennai, beat China’s Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in a best-of-14 series in Singapore, banking his share of a $2.5 million prize fund. It was the first time in 138 years that two players from Asia contested the final.
India’s prime minister Narendra Modi was quick to congratulate the teenager, who is the second world champion from India after Viswanathan Anand. “Historic and exemplary!” Modi wrote on X.
Chess is reportedly now second to cricket in sporting prominence in India, with mainstream media coverage and government support and sponsorship.
“India seems to be the new Russia,” grandmaster David Howell told NBC before the championship. “It is the two superpowers, India and China, battling it out.”
