D Gukesh has made history by becoming the new world chess champion! The 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster won the title by defeating Ding Liren, the defending champion, during a thrilling match in Singapore last December. The championship came down to the 14th and final game, where it seemed Liren was in control. However, he made a big mistake on the 55th move and had to resign, making Gukesh the youngest world champion ever.
After his win, Gukesh received a lot of praise from many people in the chess world, but he also faced some criticism from well-known players like Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik.
Siddharth Jagadeesh, who is Singapore’s youngest Grandmaster, remembers playing against Gukesh when they were younger. He shared a story from an under-9 tournament when Gukesh offered him a draw even though he was winning. Jagadeesh accepted the draw because it would give Gukesh first place and the Candidate Master title.
Reflecting on Gukesh’s recent match, Jagadeesh mentioned, “After my game ended, I’d watch Gukesh’s match. Being there gives you a sense of the game’s excitement, but watching from home can be different. You don’t really see what they are thinking.”
In February, Gukesh is set to compete against chess legends Viswanathan Anand and Carlsen in a tournament in Germany and will also participate in the Norway Chess 2025 tournament in May, where he’ll face Carlsen again.
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