NEW DELHI: 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.
The 14th game on Thursday, a highly anticipated battle, swung decisively in Gukesh’s favour after a critical blunder by Ding Liren, securing Gukesh’s historic triumph as the youngest world chess champion.
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.
As It Happened: D Gukesh vs Ding Liren Game 14
However, his endgame manoeuvre inadvertently allowed Gukesh to trade down into a favorable 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 the moves from Game 14: 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 Ke5 Ding Liren resigned.
