Ding Liren became China’s first world chess champion in 2023 before hitting one of the most inexplicable slumps the game has ever seen. Now he’s locked in a tense battle to defend his crown.

Ding made a one-move blunder late in Game 14, which handed Gukesh the title-winning point and prevented tiebreakers. Ding Liren (R) and Gukesh Dommaraju compete in Game 1 on November 25, 2024.

Teenager Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest-ever undisputed classical chess world champion after beating Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in their best-of-14 final in Singapore on Thursday.

Dommaraju Gukesh, an 18-year-old Indian grandmaster, captured the World Chess Championship in Singapore on Thursday by winning the last game of his match against the reigning champion, Ding Liren ...