The teenager is from Chennai, known as India's chess capital.
Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest-ever chess world champion after beating China’s Ding Liren in a dramatic turn.
Aged 18, he is four years younger than the former record-holder, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov.
Gukesh has long been a chess superstar, having become a chess grandmaster at 12.
But going into the final round of the FIDE World Chess Championship, he was an outside challenger.
Gukesh won the final after defending champion Ding, made a bizarre move that gave up his last piece.
His blunder delivered victory to the 18-year-old, who until now had been ranked fifth in the world and second in his own country.
The World Championship had been closely watched by chess fans around the world.
Going into the final game, Gukesh and Ding had eight draws and two wins each.
Players receive one point for a win and half a point each for a draw. Gukesh Dommaraju claimed the title on Thursday with a final score of 7.5 to 6.5, becoming just the 18th world chess champion.
The teenager is from Chennai, known as India’s chess capital.
But there were no elite chess players in his family. He was enrolled in chess sessions after school because his father, a surgeon, and his mother, a medical professor, needed somewhere to put him.
His talent was spotted by coaches, who encouraged his family to invest in his training.
Gukesh previously spoke about how yoga and mindful thinking have helped him deal with the pressure.
In the final, Gukesh stayed focused while Ding appeared to crumble under pressure.
Since becoming China’s first chess world champion in 2023, Ding has faced questions over his form.
For most of the year, he had taken a break from chess, having spoken about his struggles with depression and mental health.
But his stylish win over Gukesh Dommaraju in the opening game of the championship in November 2024, and a victory in Round 12, had suggested momentum.
The game on December 12 saw several hours of close play, with suggestions that it might end in a draw.
But on the 55th move, Ding fatally moved his rook into a position to be taken.
Immediately recognising his mistake, he slumped on the table.
Chess.com wrote in its post-game summary:
“Ding seemed to have a risk-free chance to push for a win, but instead liquidated into a pawn-down endgame.
“It should have been drawn, but Ding blundered as the pressure grew.”
Three moves later, he resigned and Gukesh became the world champion.
He said: “I probably got so emotional because I did not really expect to win that position.”
Gukesh is only the second Indian player to become a chess world champion, after Viswanathan Anand who last won in 2012.
Gukesh added: “It’s a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India… and for me, a very personal moment of pride.”
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