New Delhi: D Gukesh is on the top of the world having become the youngest-ever world chess champion after beating Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren in a hard-fought 14-game battle. Gukesh clinched the elite title in Singapore on Thursday and etched his name in the history books becoming only the second Indian after legendary Viswanathan Anand to claim the world title. He returned home on Monday and received a grand welcome in Chennai.
However, nothing would have been on the cards if Gukesh and his parents hadn’t nurtured the longing for the game which started as a mere “hobby”. Gukesh’s father Dr. Rajnikanth, an ENT surgeon by profession, said he only encouraged his son to join chess classes in the school as a hobby. He added that Gukesh started playing chess as an extra-curricular activity and to make him a chess player was never their plan.
“You have to have interest and hard work, otherwise nothing will happen. We did not plan to make him a chess player, but enrolled him in Velammal school chess class as part of the extra-curricular activity. But we supported him once he showed interest and worked hard. As a parent, we tried to give him as much exposure as possible. That’s what I can suggest to other parents as well,” Mr. Rajnikanth said upon the return of his victorious son.
Advice for parents
“We should try to give as much exposure as possible to what your children are interested in,” Gukesh’s father added. He also revealed one of the success mantras of Gukesh saying that he likes to continuously play in tournaments to make sure that he is in touch with the game. “Some players play tournaments once in two months – one month preparation and next month playing in tournaments. As far as he (Gukesh) is concerned, games are his practice.
“He learns from his losses and wins. If I don’t give him a tournament for a month, he becomes restless. That’s his choice,” he added. Gukesh hails from a family of geniuses. Apart from his father being an ENT surgeon, his mother, Padmavathi, is a microbiologist. Gukesh became the first teenager to lift the world title as he beat Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in a closely fought title clash.
(With PTI inputs)
It is indeed hard to digest that D Gukesh started playing chess as a “hobby”, as revealed by his father Rajnikanth upon his home return in Chennai on Monday. Gukesh has become the youngest ever world chess champion. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
