Gu​kesh Dommaraju is the youngest World Chess Champion in history (Credit: Chess.com/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

When Gu​kesh Dommaraju realized he had a clear path to victory in the World Chess Championship, he could barely contain his excitement. The 18-year-old got the unexpected opportunity, after the reigning champion, China's Ding Liren, made a critical mistake in the final game of their best-of-14 match.