Gukesh becomes the youngest chess world champion in history

For anyone who doesn't know, there was a lot of drama because Gukesh was playing amazingly coming into this (eg winning the gold medal on board 1 at the olympiad in crushing style) and Ding had been playing terribly. Then there were 13 games of back and forth with stalwart defending and imaginative computer preparation by both sides, playing a lot of fresh chess and both of them going for the most critical and challenging moves in each position. Ding was playing a lot better than a lot of people had expected and the previous game had been one of the best games in a world championship for a long time. Everything was tied going into the last game of the classical portion and the "bar room consensus" was that since Gukesh was so young and doesn't focus at all on the faster forms of chess (rapid and blitz) and is therefore much lower rated than Ding in those formats, that if this game was a draw then Ding would be a substantial favourite in the ensuing tiebreaks.

The final game was a complex struggle, with Ding keeping everything in lockdown with the white pieces so as not to give Gukesh a ghost of a chance. Most of the pieces had been traded and it was the most drawish of drawn endgames. Gukesh was up a pawn, but they both had a rook and bishop and all Ding had to do was hang on to his pieces and keep them well away from the enemy king. On the stream I was watching IM David Pruess had just been asked by someone in chat whether Gukesh could win and he said "1% chance".

Then all of a sudden Ding made 3 bad moves in a row. The first two were just poor endgame technique, putting his rook and bishop both on bad squares too close to the enemy king, then the real blunder. Completely inexplicably he traded off the pieces. Now he was in an endgame that was just dead lost. After 14 games of 4+ hours each It had gone from being a dead draw with him a big favourite in tie breaks to all over in a few seconds.

There are patterns. Like how to start(openings), endgames. Like patterns of movements well defined. You just have to read enough books, and play enough games to have them hard burned into your memory. They are not really thinking the way an ordinary person imagines. By and large a chess GM is database of chess games. And most of your moves are these.

Second part is having a strong internal monologue, which is basically a way of saying to oneself(silently)-

1. What happens if I make this move? Where is my game headed? Where is the opponent's game headed?

2. Does my move fit in to the patterns I already know?

3. Are my pieces in trouble? How do I save them? Or should I?

4. If I make these series of moves I can make check mate the opponent in k moves.

5. Which move do I make to take this opponent's piece?

6. Are there an obvious traps I can spot?

etc etc.

Like a never ending monologue/internal chatter. What if I do this, or What if I do that? What are knowns, unknowns? Same questions now from the opponents perspective. Like you need to develop these skills. And the ability to work this fast.

There are already broad moves that are supposed to be made. Like you move the horses as early as you can. You don't get stuck in piece traffic jams. The rook is supposed to be a endgame piece. White gives you an edge, as you can move that horse first, castling etc etc.

Mostly its reading a lot, and talking to oneself while playing a lot.

All said, tho, it was definitely Gukesh's time, and being 18 has some serious benefits in terms of recovery and stamina.

> How do you feel?

> I think I played my best tournament of the year. I think it was a fair tournament in the end. I have no regrets.

> Any message for fans?

> Thank you, I will continue to play, I hope I can show strength like this time.

Gukesh was equally as objective, humble, and gentlemanly in victory.

These attributes are what makes chess and its superstars so appealing.