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Defending world chess champion Ding Liren was made to rue the 'blunder' he made in the 14th and final game against India's D Gukesh on Thursday. Liren's error of judgment turned out to be a costly one as Gukesh pounced on the mistake to become the youngest world champion in the history of the game. While most of the chess fraternity is elated to see the 18-year-old Gukesh make history, Russian Chess Federation chief Andrei Filatov has accused China's Liren of losing the game on purpose.
Russian news agency TASS quoted Filatov asking the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to open a probe and investigate the result.
"The result of the last game caused bewilderment among professionals and chess fans. The actions of the Chinese chess player in the decisive segment are extremely suspicious and require a separate investigation by FIDE," he said.
"Losing the position in which Ding Liren was is difficult even for a first-class player. The defeat of the Chinese chess player in today's game raises a lot of questions and looks like a deliberate one," he added.
The emotional moment that 18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju became the 18th world chess champion pic.twitter.com/jRIZrYeyCF
— Chess.com (@chesscom) December 12, 2024
Taking forward the incredible legacy of the great Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh became only the second Indian to clinch the coveted prize after the iconic player, who owned the crown five times in his career.
After settling into "semi-retirement", the 55-year-old Anand, incidentally, played a pivotal role in shaping Gukesh at his chess academy in Chennai.
Gukesh secured the requisite 7.5 points as against 6.5 of his Chinese rival after winning the 14th and last classical time control game of the match that seemed headed for a draw for most part. As winner, he will walk away with a whopping USD 1.3 million (approx Rs 11.03 crore) from the 2.5 million prize purse.
"I was dreaming this moment for the last 10 years. I am happy that I realised the dream (and made it) into reality," the soft-spoken Chennai-lad told reporters after the historic triumph
The reticent teenager grinned widely and raised his arms in celebration after the victory, a stark contrast from the poker face he usually sports while playing. Once the feeling settled in, a tear or two also escaped his eyes, showing a rare moment of vulnerability.
"I got a bit emotional because I was not expecting to win," he added.