New Delhi: It has been some time since D Gukesh etched his name in the history books by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, but it all doesn’t seem to settle which tells a lot about the gravity of this win. Gukesh beat Ding Liren of China in a nerve-wracking 14-game series in Singapore, collecting admiration from across the globe.
Gukesh was at his best in his gameplay but it’s not just his skillset that got him to the top but also the sacrifices in his journey to become the world’s greatest. His mother, Padma Kumari, who stood with him throughout his journey, candidly shared the struggles and the “tough” decision that the family made. One such unconventional choice was not sending Gukesh to school after 4th or 5th grade.
“There are many critical moments when we doubted ourselves. I don’t know how to say it exactly. Whenever he didn’t play well, we used to wonder whether we had made the right decision for him. He was very young, and it was our responsibility to make decisions for him. You know, he didn’t go to school after fourth or fifth grade,” Padma revealed in an interview with ChessBase India.
Gukesh’s ‘never give up’ attitude
Gukesh’s mother went on to add that the ‘never give up’ attitude that her son possesses, is something instilled by his father Rajnikanth from a very young age. When a tournament didn’t go well for Gukesh and he wanted to withdraw, his father never allowed him to do so and always told him to finish it and fight till the end.
“Maybe that time he felt bad that his father is not understanding him but once he became mature, he realised that that’s the most important value his father has instilled in him – ‘Never give up,’” Padma said. Even Gukesh highlighted his parents’ contribution in his journey saying that their dream to see him become the World Chess Champion was probably bigger than his own dream.
D Gukesh’s rise to the World Championship title is a result of countless sacrifices made by his parents. His mother recently revealed that he didn’t go to school after fifth standard in order to pursue chess. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
