At simply 18 years previous, D Gukesh has grow to be the youngest and the 18th chess World Champion, defeating reigning title holder Ding Liren of China. This victory makes him India’s second world champion after Viswanathan Anand, who gained 5 titles earlier than conceding the crown to Magnus Carlsen in 2013. It’s a story that feels virtually scripted, but it’s actual — a story of audacious desires, relentless laborious work, and unwavering assist.
In the press convention after his victory, Gukesh stated, “I’m living my dream.” For many of us who’ve adopted his journey, that is no exaggeration. I vividly keep in mind an 11-12 months-previous Gukesh, in a chat with Sagar Shah of ChessBase India, joyfully declaring his ambition: to grow to be the youngest world chess championIt’s a highly effective reminder that setting daring targets and dedicating your self to them can result in extraordinary outcomes.
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Behind Gukesh’s victory is a story of immense sacrifice — particularly from his dad and mom. Garry Kasparov’s congratulatory publish captures this sentiment superbly: “My congratulations to D Gukesh on his victory today. He has summitted the highest peak of all: making his mother happy!” This line resonates deeply, as Kasparov himself has typically spoken in regards to the sacrifices his personal mom made to assist his chess profession.
In India, the place dad and mom historically prioritize lecturers over the whole lot else, Gukesh’s dad and mom dared to do in another way. They selected to imagine of their son’s expertise, placing apart societal expectations and their very own comforts to make sure he might pursue his ardour.
As a guardian myself, this strikes a chord. Watching Gukesh’s triumph is a reminder of what parenting may be. Whether it is chess, dance, or math, youngsters deserve the liberty and encouragement to comply with their desires. Who is aware of what they could obtain if we let go of standard concepts of success and easily assist them?
Gukesh’s victory additionally symbolizes India’s progress as a sporting nation. Even a decade in the past, the infrastructure, sources, and mindset wanted to nurture a champion like him did not exist. Today, academies like WACA (WestBridge Anand Chess Academy), backed by a enterprise capital fund, play a pivotal position in shaping younger expertise. Supporting an elite chess participant isn’t any small feat — it requires fixed funding, world-class coaching, and a community of high-tier seconds, coaches, and trainers.
Gukesh’s successful staff, which he proudly declared and thanked within the publish-sport press convention, contains some of the largest names within the chess world: Grzegorz Gajewski, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Pentala Harikrishna, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Paddy Upton, and others. Such experience does not come low cost, and this ecosystem represents a mixture of world excellence and Indian imaginative and prescient, underscoring the progress we have made as a nation in supporting sports activities.
Beyond his sport, what makes Gukesh outstanding is his maturity and authenticity. His calmness and emotional intelligence on the press convention have been awe-inspiring for somebody so younger. As he answered questions with poise and humility, I could not assist however marvel at how grounded he’s. Honestly, I’d like to know who skilled him in PR and public talking — his communication abilities are as spectacular as his chess!
In the ultimate moments of Game 14, practically on the finish, Ding made a one-transfer blunder in an in any other case drawn sport, (55.Rf2, a suggestion for a rook commerce), and commentators all over the world jumped off their seats in disbelief. . Commotion and celebration broke out throughout dwell streams, but Gukesh remained straight-confronted. Ultra calm, he studied the place, took a sip of water, and coolly traded rooks. He knew he was successful however displayed monk-like composure, holding again any seen pleasure.
Moments later, after additional buying and selling bishops and gaining a decisive pawn benefit, Gukesh lastly allowed himself a smile, realizing he had secured the championship. But even on this second of triumph, his respect for the sport and his opponent stood out. As Ding contemplated his resignation, Gukesh rose from his chair and turned away, guaranteeing his response would not come throughout as disrespectful.
His respect for Ding’s spirit was evident within the publish-sport press convention, the place he praised the Chinese GM’s resilience and preventing spirit all through the match.
With humility, Gukesh even attributed half of his victory to the opponent, saying: “Ding Liren is the real inspiration to me. What I learned from Ding is what an incredible fighter he is—true champions fight until the very end.”
And then, there was that uncooked, emotional second when Ding Liren resigned. Gukesh’s face contorted with a combine of laughter and tears, reminding me of Kamal Haasan’s iconic scenes the place he does each directly. Except this wasn’t appearing — this was pure, unfiltered emotion. For a billion Indians rooting for his win, it was a second of collective delight and pleasure.
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What actually units Gukesh aside is his cultural confidence. In a world the place many younger folks chase traits and popular culture, Gukesh stays unapologetically himself. He meditates with closed eyes earlier than matches, wears a tripundra or vibhuti on his brow, and after his victory, he touched the chessboard and his eyes—a conventional Hindu gesture of gratitude. His capability to remain grounded whereas excelling on the worldwide stage sends a highly effective message: you may embrace your roots and nonetheless be a world champion.
Gukesh’s story isn’t just about chess. It’s about parenting, perseverance, and India’s transformation. It’s about staying true to your self whereas reaching for the celebrities. Most of all, it is about believing — in your youngsters, in your desires, and in the concept greatness can come from anyplace.
Sreeraman Thiagarajan – The creator is a Mumbai primarily based tech entrepreneur and a chess fanatic.
