New Delhi: India has been swept by the fervour of the landmark achievement of Dommaraju Gukesh, who, on Thursday, became the youngest player ever to clinch the World Chess Championship title at the age of 18 years, eight months and 14 days.
The fact that Gukesh beat Ding Liren, the reigning champion and broke Garry Kasparov’s 39-year-old record of youngest chess champions, makes the Indian grandmaster’s feat even more remarkable.
It was long overdue for the Indian chess community to see someone capture the spotlight other than Viswanathan Anand, who last won a world title in 2012 to record his fifth, a feat yet to be emulated by any chess player in the country.
Gukesh, only the second Indian to win the title after Anand, has apparently braced up the challenge to reach the big heights of his idol and teacher. Only at the age of 11, a tiny tot Gukesh was asked about his goal of life by International Master Sagar Shah. The boy from Chennai, ingenuously, said that he wanted to become the youngest world champion.
Seven years after he manifested the world title a mature and composed Gukesh achieved his ultimate goal. The 18-year-old thrived under pressure against a much more experienced campaigner to achieve what no other Indian after Anand could do.
The magnitude of this victory is believed to be one of the biggest in Indian sports history in individual events. Some might draw parallel lines to the country’s biggest sporting folklore of winning eight Olympic gold medals in the men’s hockey category or the twin ODI World Cup triumphs by the men’s cricket team in 1983 and 2011.
However, according to sports analyst, quiz master and orator Joy Bhattacharjya, the world titles achieved by Anand and Gukesh stand at a different level, adding that there is no comparison.
“It’s very difficult to compare this, but I will still say, for whatever it is, cricket is played by a very small number of countries. 10-12 countries play it seriously. Chess is played around the world and the number of people playing chess is much more,” Joy Bhattacharjya told News9 Sports.
“I have to say that the magnitude, just in considering the number of players, Anand’s world title and Gukesh’s world title are huge achievements,” he added.
The former CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL also hailed the achievements of Leander Paes (1996 Atlanta Olympics bronze in men’s singles in tennis) and Abhinav Bindra (2008 Beijing Olympics gold in men’s 10m air rifle event) as unmatched in the landscape of Indian sports. But then no one has brought laurels to the country in their teenage days like Gukesh has done recently.
“I think it’s a huge win for many reasons. One is that the age at which he has done it – 18 – and it is an incredible age. He is only going to get better as a player for the next 7-8 years,” Joy further emphasised on Gukesh’s world title triumph.
“Secondly, playing a world championship is playing at big stage and it is very natural for people to make mistakes at that big level. The fact that he managed to hold his nerve and play on is something that is incredible,” he added.
What Indian international chess players have to say about Gukesh’s win
Indian chess Grandmaster RB Ramesh said chess requires more technical processes and cannot be compared to team sports.
“Cricket World Cup is a team effort, but here it’s not the case. I would rate technical performance much higher than team events,” said GM Ramesh, who is the coach of rising Indian chess siblings R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali.
Gukesh’s triumph came in the final round (14th round) of the classical format, where, at one point, draw looked as the most likely outcome, but it was Gukesh’s perseverance that kept him in the hunt for a title, and it eventually rewarded when Liren erred in his contentious rook move.
“We are not world champions in many events generally, barring very few. It’s good that we are able to produce world champions in a new era. This is the chain that has been brought by the young generation,” said Ramesh.
International Master Lanka Ravi hailed Gukesh’s mental fortitude even when his back was against the wall and for his relentless efforts to dominate against senior players. He credited the pioneer Anand for nurturing the current crop of Indian players under his mentorship.
“This is very good news for India because after Viswanathan Anand there was some gap for India in the top world. Thanks to Viswanathan Anand’s initiative, his expertise and interaction with the children have had a massive impact. Gukesh fought tooth and nail and in every game, he was dominating the match,” Ravi told News9 Sports.
Just 18, Gukesh is destined to achieve a lot of success and the FIDE World Chess Championship 2024 can be the beginning of his elite career. Gukesh will have years to ponder on how he can earn more outright wins and avoid squandering advantageous situations, but for now, he can bask in the glory.
Dommaraju Gukesh, at just 18 years old, has become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record. Experts praise Gukesh’s skill, composure, and how impactful the win means to the sport in India. This win marks a new era for Indian chess, generating excitement and anticipation for future successes. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
