CHESS: GUKESH CROWNED WORLD CHAMPION AT 18

■ Wins the final game to secure 7.5 points, edging Liren's 6.5 to claim the title.■ Gukesh becomes only the second Indian to clinch the coveted prize after Anand

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Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh on Thursday became the youngest world chess champion at 18 years after beating titleholder Ding Liren in the last game of a nerve-wracking showdown to herald a new era of dominance for the country’s chess players. 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 “semiretirement”, the 55-yearold 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 softspoken Chennai-lad told reporters after the historic triumph here.