What do you want to be when you grow up?
In 2017, when a steely-eyed 11-year-old young boy was asked this seemingly benign question that adults so often ask young children, nobody ever really thought about the implications of his answer: "I want to become the youngest world chess champion".
Seven years later, on December 12, 2024, the young boy did just that — at the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship held in Singapore, the 18-year-old Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, became the 18th and youngest World Chess Champion in the game's 138-year-long recorded history after beating China's Ding Liren.
With Gukesh Dommaraju's championship title, India — widely considered to be the region where 'chaturanga', the earliest iteration of chess, was invented — also became the only nation besides the Soviet Union to produce multiple world champions. Previously, the title had been held by Vishwanathan Anand — the first Indian chess grandmaster — for the first time from 2000 to 2002, and four more times in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013.
2024 has been a watershed year for India's chess culture. In September this year, India made history as the Indian contingents won both men's and women's competitions at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, for the first time. Dommaraju, who also won an individual gold medal on his respective board, was a key player behind India's win at the Olympiad as well.
Playing with black pieces in the 14th and final game of the match, Dommaraju ground down the reigning world champion, Ding Liren from China, in 58 moves in a game that most experts thought was heading for a draw. However, Dommaraju's perseverance and resilience in the seemingly hopeless situation paid off as Ding Liren made an uncharacteristic blunder under pressure.
In a moment of oversight, the Chinese grandmaster swapped his rooks without realizing that it would allow Dommaraju to force a bishop exchange and ultimately win the game — and the world championship title — with a king and pawn endgame.
After winning the title, Dommaraju has entered what Russian chess-legend Garry Kasparov once called the “most exclusive club” in the world. There have been only 18 world chess champions in the game's 138-year-long recorded history since 1886 — including Dommaraju himself.
And, as our very own Pari Pradhan pointed out, Dommaraju achieved this milestone, both for himself and India, while sitting on a Razer gaming chair — announcing the meteoric rise of Gen-Z champions in the world chess arena.
Watch the moment Gukesh Dommaraju won the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship here:
If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:
It’s Coming Home: India Wins Gold At The FIDE Chess Olympiad For The First Time In History
From Chaturanga To Chess — The History Of The Origin Of Chess
How 17-Year-Old Gukesh D's Became The Best Chess Player In India