18-Year-Old Grandmaster Gukesh Celebrates Historic Win with a Bungee Jump

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh, the youngest-ever world chess champion, conquered his fear of heights by taking a daring bungee jump. After defeating China’s Ding Liren to win the World Chess Championship, Gukesh fulfilled a promise he made to his trainer, Polish Grandmaster Grzegorz Gajewski: he would jump if he won the title.

Before leaving Singapore, Gukesh visited Skypark Sentosa for his first-ever bungee jump. Sharing the thrilling experience on X (formerly Twitter), he posted a video with the caption, “I did it!” In the video, Gukesh admitted he was nervous but excited about the adventure.

Gukesh’s win came after a decisive game 14 in the championship, where he scored 7.5 points, beating Ding Liren’s 6.5 points. This victory made him the second Indian to win the world title after Viswanathan Anand, and he also broke Garry Kasparov’s record as the youngest world champion. Gukesh described the moment as the “best of his life.”

Ding Liren accepted the loss graciously, saying the result was fair. Despite earlier successes in the tournament, he expressed no regrets, stating, “I played my best tournament of the year.”

Earlier in 2024, Gukesh made history by winning the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament, becoming the youngest challenger to the world title. His achievements have earned him immense admiration. Fans flooded his bungee jump video with supportive comments:

• “You did it. You made us all proud.”
• “This is nothing compared to what you did for us! Cheers, Gukesh!”
• “You dreamed it and made it come true. Much respect.”

By taking bold leaps both on the chessboard and off it, Gukesh has proven he’s a champion who isn’t afraid to take risks.