With D Gukesh becoming the youngest world chess champion ever, an old video of the 18-year-old aspiring to achieve the feat has surfaced on social media. With the interviewer asking what he wishes to be after growing up, Gukesh answered, “I want to become the youngest world chess champion.”
The teenage prodigy made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest-ever player to win the FIDE World Championship title win as he triumphed over China’s Ding Liren in their final bout. Wishes poured from across India from cricketers to politicians as Gukesh broke down after emerging triumphant.
Meanwhile, here’s the old video of Gukesh revealing his aspiration:
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.'”
Later, Gukesh also floated the possibility of facing Carlsen in the future, claiming that it would have to be his toughest battle.
