Playing black, Dommaraju won the game after Dean, who was under pressure, made a rare error in a solid position, the game commentators noted.
The 18-year-old clinched the title with a final score of 7.5-6.5 – ending a fortnight in which the pair’s games were watched closely by chess fans around the world.
Dean has faced pressure over his form throughout the year since winning in 2023.
The Chinese player has not won a long-form Classic since January and has been seen avoiding other top-level events.
But he had a strong opening game and won the penultimate match against Dommaraju, which shows the momentum.
Before Thursday’s final game, both players had two wins and eight draws.
After several hours of tight play, Dean moved his rook into a fatally weak position on move 55, giving Dommaraj an opportunity to capitalize.
Immediately realizing his mistake, Ding sank down on the table.
“Dean looked like he had a safe chance to win, but instead he was eliminated in the endgame without a pawn,” wrote Chess.com in its post-game recap. “Should have drawn, but Dean made a mistake when the pressure was on.”
