D Gukesh. | (Image Credits: Screengrab)
Fresh off from winning the World Chess Championship by defeating China’s Ding Liren in the finals of the competition, the youngster was mobbed at the Chennai airport upon returning on December 16, Monday. A video of the same surfaced on social media as he was showered with garland, with police officials trying to escort him out of the airport amid a massive crowd.
D Gukesh made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest-ever player to win the FIDE World Championship title win as he triumphed over Liren in their final bout. Wishes poured from across India from cricketers, Bollywood actors to politicians as Gukesh broke down after emerging triumphant.
In the process, he broke the record of Garry Kasparov, who held the record of becoming the youngest world chess champion, accomplishing when he was 22. Meanwhile, below is a video of D Gukesh’s appearance at the airport:
Most notably, India’s Prime Minister was in awe of the 18-year-old and wrote on X:
“Historic and exemplary! Congratulations to Gukesh D on his remarkable accomplishment. This is the result of his unparalleled talent, hard work and unwavering determination. His triumph has not only etched his name in the annals of chess history but has also inspired millions of young minds to dream big and pursue excellence. My best wishes for his future endeavours.”
D Gukesh reveals where his aspiration to clinch world title stemmed from:
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old revealed after his win that seeing Vishwanathan Anand lose to the sensational Magnus Carlsen in 2013 inspired him to bring the title to India. He said, as quoted by ANI:
“In 2013, during the Chess World Championship in Chennai, I looked at Vishy Sir and Magnus and thought it would be really cool to be there one day. To actually sit there and see the Indian flag next to me was probably the best moment of my life. When Magnus won, I thought, ‘I really want to be the one to bring the title back to India.'”
