D Gukesh created history when he defeated the defending champion, Ding Liren of China, in the 14th and final game of the World Chess Champion. He became the youngest-ever world champion, at the tender age of 18, breaking the age-old record of Garry Kasparov, who became the world champion at 22.
Heading into the game, Gukesh was tied with Liren at 6.5 points each. As per the rules, the player who reaches 7.5 is crowned the winner. A rookie mistake from Liren at the most crucial juncture of the game led to his downfall, as Gukesh wasted no chance to capitalise on his opponent's blunder. Gukesh also broke Garry Kasporov's age-old record by becoming the world champion at 18. This was the third victory for Gukesh in the championship. Nine games ended in a draw, while the remaining two were won by Liren.
Gukesh was in tears after winning the event where he was considered a massive underdog. "When Magnus won in 2013, I started thinking that I should be the one who brings this title back to India," said Gukesh after becoming champion. "This dream I had about 10 years ago had been the single most important thing of my life. Doing this for myself, my loved ones and my country, there is nothing better than this," he added.
How Much Did D Gukesh Take Home After Becoming World Champion?
The 2024 World Chess Championship, with a prize pool of $2.5 million, awarded players $200,000 (approximately ₹ 1.68 crore) for each victory, in accordance with FIDE regulations. The remaining prize funds were divided equally among participants.
Since Gukesh won three matches, he received $600,000 (₹ 5.04 crore approximately) just from the victories, and the remaining fund of $1.5 million (₹ 12.72 crore) was distributed between both. When combined together, Gukesh walked away with a prize money of $1.35 million (₹ 11.34 crore approximately).
Gukesh also received ₹5 crore from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K Stalin. “To honour the monumental achievement of @DGukesh, the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, I am delighted to announce a cash prize of ₹5 crore! His historic victory has brought immense pride and joy to the nation. May he continue to shine and achieve greater heights in the future," wrote Stalin on Twitter.
