Gukesh, Liren jointly earn more prize money than what Rohit Sharma's Team India got after winning 2024 T20 World Cup

Who says only cricketers rake in huge moolahs? Chess champion Gukesh has proven otherwise with an emphatic statement. By defeating Ding Liren to become the World Champion, Gukesh has shown that success and skill in any field can lead to significant rewards. 

When Team India lifted the 2024 World Cup trophy, they secured Rs 20.42 crore in prize money. Rohit Sharma’s team earned just under Rs 21 crore overall. In contrast, the chess championship prize pool for Gukesh and Ding Liren was Rs 21.2 crore. Gukesh claimed ₹11.45 crore, while Ding received ₹9.75 crore, collectively out-earning the cricket champions.

D Gukesh made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest World Chess Champion ever, defeating Ding Liren of China in a dramatic 14-game match. The 18-year-old from Chennai capitalized on a critical blunder by Ding in the decisive 14th game, winning the match with a score of 7.5 to 6.5. This victory makes Gukesh only the second Indian to hold the World Chess Championship title.

With this win, Gukesh not only dethroned Ding but also broke Garry Kasparov's long-standing record of being the youngest champion, as Kasparov won the title at age 22. Gukesh's achievement marks him as the 18th World Champion in chess history, heralding a new era in the game.

Gukesh's victory comes just over a decade after Viswanathan Anand, a five-time champion, lost his title to Magnus Carlsen in Chennai in 2013. Carlsen abdicated his crown in 2023, allowing Ding to claim victory over Ian Nepomniachtchi.

In addition to the title, Gukesh earned prize money totalling $1.35 million (approximately Rs 11.45 crore), while Ding received $1.15 million (around Rs 9.75 crore) from the total prize pool of $2.5 million. Gukesh secured $600,000 (about Rs 5.07 crore) outright by winning three games, while Ding earned $400,000 (around Rs 3.38 crore) for his two victories.

The final game saw Ding initially steering towards a draw with the Reversed Grunfeld variation of the Zukertort Opening. However, he made a shocking mistake that led to his defeat. After battling through 13 intense games over three weeks, Ding was looking forward to tiebreakers but faltered under pressure.

With agency inputs

"I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder," Ding admitted during the post-game press conference. Gukesh expressed disbelief at Ding's error, stating, "At first, I didn't see that I was winning. When I realized it, it was the best moment of my life."

Following the resignation after 58 moves, Gukesh could hardly contain his emotions and shared an emotional moment with his father at the venue. "I have been dreaming of this for the last 10-12 years since I started playing chess," he said, attributing his success to divine intervention and expressing gratitude for living his dream despite acknowledging Ding's formidable challenge throughout the match.