In a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 World Chess Championship, India's 18-year-old Grandmaster D. Gukesh defeated China’s Ding Liren to claim the title. But while Gukesh's victory was historic, it has sparked debate and raised questions about the fairness of the match.

Andrei Filatov, the president of the Chess Federation of Russia, was quick to express his doubts about the outcome, accusing Ding Liren of deliberately losing in the decisive final game. Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, Filatov said, "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."

Filatov’s accusations were based on Ding Liren’s performance during the final moments of the match, which he described as difficult even for top-level players to lose. "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.

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik also voiced his frustration over the match's quality. Kramnik, who was the world chess champion from 2000 to 2006, called Ding Liren’s critical blunder "childish" and described the game as a "disappointment."

"Frankly, I am very disappointed by today’s game," Kramnik said after Game 6. "Even Game 5 was not extremely high level, but today it was really weak play from both players. It’s a very disappointing level." After the final game, Kramnik wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "No comment. Sad. End of chess as we know it," adding that it was the first time a world title had been decided by such a blunder.

A Historic Milestone for Gukesh

Despite the controversy, Gukesh’s victory is a remarkable achievement in the world of chess. At just 18, he became the youngest-ever world chess champion, breaking a record held by Garry Kasparov for nearly 40 years. Kasparov won the title at 22 in 1985, but Gukesh surpassed that milestone by claiming the title at just 18 years, 11 months, and 25 days.

The win marks the culmination of Gukesh’s journey, which started when he became the youngest-ever challenger to the title after winning the Candidates Tournament earlier this year. By defeating Ding Liren, Gukesh also made history as the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the World Chess Championship title. Anand, a five-time world champion, last held the title in 2013.

With this victory, Gukesh joins the ranks of India's chess greats, and his triumph is celebrated as a major step forward for Indian chess on the world stage. Along with his title, Gukesh will receive a share of the USD 2.5 million prize fund, further cementing his place in chess history.