Billionaire businessman Elon Musk on Saturday congratulated India’s newly-crowned International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju. Gukesh made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest champion in the sport’s history, defeating China’s Ding Liren in the final game of their FIDE World Championship match.
On Friday, Gukesh received his FIDE World Championship trophy following his remarkable triumph. “Congratulations!” Musk wrote on X in response to Gukesh’s post.The championship, which was tied at 6.5-6.5 heading into the final game, concluded with a stellar performance by Gukesh, who secured a 7.5-6.5 victory over Ding Liren, according to FIDE’s official website.
The official X handle of FIDE announced, “Gukesh D is the YOUNGEST WORLD CHAMPION in history!” In April, Gukesh made headlines by winning the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024, becoming the youngest challenger for Ding’s world title.
Overwhelmed with emotion after his victory, Gukesh described it as the “best moment of his life” during the post-match press conference. Reflecting on his loss, Ding Liren said, “I was totally in shock when I realised I made a blunder. I will continue to play. I think I played my best tournament of the year. It could be better, but considering yesterday’s lucky survival, it is a fair result to lose in the end. I have no regrets.”
This thrilling finale capped an intense series, with Game 13 ending in a draw and setting the stage for the decisive final round. Ultimately, Gukesh’s composure and skill earned him the title, further solidifying India’s dominance in the chess world.
