Ding won the rapid chess playoff by 2.5 points to 1.5, capitalizing on Nepomniachtchi’s mistakes in time trouble in thefinal rapid clash, following a 7-7 tie after 14 thrilling classical games.

Self-pinning for immortality. Congrats Ding!! former world champion Magnus Carlsen—who is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time—twitted.

“One Ding to rule em all,” fellow Indian grandmaster Anish Giri twitted in the honour of the new world champion.

Now China holds both the men’s and women’s world titles as Ju Wenjun, the current women’s champion, is set to defend her title against compatriot Lei Tingjie in July.

“The moment Ian resigned the game was a very emotional moment, I cannot control my feelings,” Ding said in a press conference.

Grandmaster Ding takes the crown from five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen who defeated Nepomniachtchi in 2021 but announced in July he would not defend the title again this year.

Carlsen said he was not motivated to play shortly after Nepomniachtchi won the Candidates tournament, the prestigious qualifier to the match.

Carlsen had held the World Chess Championship title since 2013 and will remain the world’s top-rated player. Ding ranks third in the FIDE rating list behind Nepomniachtchi.

The two-million-euro ($2.2-million) prize would have been split 60-40 between the winner and the runner-up if the match had been decided in the initial 14-game series. Now, it will be split in 55-45 as it results were declared through tiebreak.