Chess prodigy the toast of a nation

DOMMARAJU: LIVES UP TO HIS PROMISE TO BECOME THE GAME'S YOUNGEST WORLD CHAMPION

Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju is the toast of his nation after he beat China’s Ding Liren to become the game’s youngest-ever world champion at 18-years-old.

Gukesh lived up to his tag as favourite in this year’s World Chess Championship final in Singapore on Thursday, to smash a record held by Russia’s Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he became world champion in 1985.

It was a dream come true for the bearded teenager, who six years earlier declared: “I want to become the youngest world chess champion.”

Gukesh became India’s youngest grandmaster aged 12 years, seven months and 17 days, and among the youngest in the history of the game.

Even Magnus Carlsen, the most recognisable current player in chess and a five-time world champion, was older.

Gukesh burst into tears and hugged his father after nearly three weeks and 14 games of intense battle against Ding, 32.