Gukesh won the Armageddon Championship Series: Asia & Oceania
The 16-year-old Indian chess prodigy Gukesh D. won the World Chess Armageddon: Asia & Oceania among 7 world-class players and four incredible, star-spangled, final games against the 18-year-old former World Rapid Champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov! Both players have granted a spot at the Armageddon’s Grand Finale in September!
It was an epic final at the World Chess Armageddon: Asia & Oceania as the former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik lost an eventful match against the former World Rapid Champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who fought hard for the title but lost against his old rival, the 16-year-old GM Gukesh D. Both Gukesh and Abdusattorov have granted a spot at the Grand Finale in September, with Gukesh “taking the glory and $18k” as GM Jan Gustafsson commented!
First match of the day was Abdusattorov against Kramnik!
In Game 1 Kramnik suffered for a while but managed to neutralise with the game to end in a draw. Game 2 was lost for the young Uzbek GM who suddenly stopped the clock and called the International Arbiter Tania Karali.
Abdusattorov has spotted a well hidden threefold repetition, for him to survive a lost position against Kramnik and force the Armageddon.
It was an intense game in which Kramnik lost control, lost the game, got eliminated, and blatantly disappointed, with Abdusattorov getting promoted to the final match against Gukesh D.
After a missed chance in game 1 for Gukesh, the Indian GM lost game 2 against Abdusattorov to use his “extra life”, and start the match all over again!
Once more, game 1 of the “new” match came to a draw after a well-intended perpetual check from Gukesh with the heart rate of the players’ and the audience’s getting really high for the final Armageddon!
After great technique, careful moves, and resourcefulness, Gukesh dominated the game and we had a checkmate on the board and a new Champion!
If you missed the action, you can always watch the final on the World Chess Youtube Channel!
