India’s 18-year-old D Gukesh became the youngest-ever chess champion on Thursday after beating China’s Ding Liren in Game 14 of the World Chess Championship.
The 18th World Chess Champion, at just 18 years old, is four years younger than Garry Kasparov, who held the title of the youngest world champion since 1985 after defeating Anatoly Karpov.
Post his win, former world champion, Vladimir Kramnik, took to X to make a scathing remark. “No comment. Sad. End of chess as we know it,” he wrote.
Ding’s blunder during the game has been called “childish” by Kramnik. “Nevet yet WC title was decided by childish one move blunder.”
Kramnik previously criticised the quality of chess played in the match between Gukesh and Liren.
Post Game 6 he had said, “Frankly, I am very disappointed by today’s game (Game 6). Even Game 5 was not extremely high level, but today it was really — for a professional — it was really weak play from both players. It’s a very disappointing level.”
“It’s such a strange game. Both players were making mistake after mistake, strategical mistakes. As if they don’t get the sense of the position…Maybe I’m old-school but it’s pretty basic! Of course, they’re both great players and great calculators. They calculate fantastically.”
He expressed that he expected more from a world championship match, emphasszing the importance of ideas, human play, and human concepts. He remarked that if he wanted to enjoy chess purely as a game of calculation, he would prefer watching a world championship of chess engines.
Kramnik’s post has garnered over 2 million views with several people criticising his comment.
“Remember Anand?? You are writing this only because he is Indian naa?? Accept the reality,” a user wrote.
“Cry Harder! I can send you tissues if you want,” another one remarked.
A user by the name ‘Johns’ pointed out Kramnik’s defeat at the hands of Viswanathan Anand in 2010. “Hey man you had your moment…Anand defeated you in 2010 and you should fade into oblivion now please for the sake of your own health,” they wrote.