Chennai: Grandmaster D Gukesh, who created history on Thursday by becoming the youngest World Chess Champion after beating China’s veteran Ding Liren in the 14th and final game of the summit clash, has become yet another jewel in Chennai’s chess gems studded crown.
The 18-year-old lad from Chennai Velammal group School, which also boasts among its students the illustrious R Praggnandhaa, is the second Indian after Vishwanathan Anand to win the title.
Anand, who is also from Chennai, hailed the young champion. “Congratulations! It’s a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India, a proud moment for WACA, and for me, a very personal moment of pride. Ding played a very exciting match and showed the champion he is,” he tweeted.
Born in Chennai to parents with roots in Andhra Pradesh, Gukesh was an early chess star entering the game at age 13. On Thursday his friends and acquaintances watched him with bated breath snatching a tense game that seemed headed for a draw getting 7.5 points against Liren’s 6.5.
Only in April this year, Gukesh, then 17, had done the country proud by winning the FIDE Candidates title. Back then, observers were not sure if he could beat the 31 year old reigning World champion Liren, eight months down the line.
However, Gukesh had displayed great confidence even then. He knew he was taking on a strong and top rated player but declared that he was ready for the battle. “I am ready for the challenge,” is what he told an interviewer while acknowledging Liren was a universal player. He had earlier played a few rapid games with the Chinese player. He knew something exciting would come when the get to clash for the big title.
While Gukesh desired to play in Chennai for the world title, he was fine playing anywhere. “Wherever I play, the goal is to be focussed and win the match,” is what he had said then with a confidence that a teenager rarely displays on the big field.
But he is someone who had not allowed a win or defeat to influence him unduly and has the knack of recovering soon enough to be on top of the game. Eventually it is his focus, discipline and confidence that saw him snatch the game from Liren.
