Saturday, December 14, 2024

Gukesh & Chess



Dreams come true, when it is backed with hard work, determination, and luck. 

'Gukesh won the world championship because of his attitude' said  Viswanathan Anand. 

D Gukesh’s rise as the youngest world championis a tale with two pieces — one of individual and family sacrifice, and the other of legend Viswanathan Anand’s payback to Indian sport.


It made me look out about him more. World Chess Champion today. He is the son of Dr. Rajinikanth ENT surgeon and Dr. Padma Kumari MD Microbiologist AP in Madras Medical College.

Gukesh’s father, Rajini Kanth, gave up his profession as an ENT surgeon in 2018 to accompany his son to tournaments around the world, and Gukesh’s mother, Padma, a microbiologist at the Madras Medical College, took on the mantle of sole breadwinner. Gukesh stopped going to school when he was in Class 7, turning up only to write exams. Instead of living like a normal teenager, he would be locked in his room for hours — either obsessively playing online or mastering the intricacies through books and historical boards that were memorised and internalised. As his skill grew, he lived out of a suitcase, travelling from one tournament to another while his family ensured they would cut whatever corners they had to so that he got every opportunity to pursue excellence.

A proud moment for them. Instead of running in routine layout, this couple identified the talent of their kid and he is world champion now. What else would a parent expect from his kid??

For Gukesh, it has always been about the process. Sample this from him. “For me, it is always about the process,” he said. “To be the best prepared that I can be. " “I like criticism,” he said when asked if he had seen what Magnus Carlsen had said about him. “It fires me up.” Ahead of the final, he had said to me, “I don't really think about predictions and stuff. I think my job is to go there and play good chess, and if I do that, I believe good things will happen. My focus is entirely on the job at hand and I know I will have to go there and play at my best.”

That’s exactly what he did. When the entire world had called it a draw, Gukesh did not. He kept at it. Having not expected Ding Liren to be a pushover, Viswanath Anand – India’s first chess world champion – said D Gukesh took the crown because of his refusal to accept a draw and keep pushing.Persistence was the key. And the self-belief. With time in hand, he was waiting for Ding Liren to make a mistake. As Anand said, “At times, you need to carry on even if there is not much of a chance.” Gukesh did so, and was rewarded.

He is Someone who could take time out and thank his opponent is good for the sport. In fact, great. That’s what sport is all about, and Gukesh will enrich it further going forward. Gukesh Dommaraju, all of 18 years and eight months old, winning the world championship has to be one of the greatest achievements in the history of Indian sport.

 https://www.facebook.com/share/15iMfF3qP1/

The final game


The WestBridge Anand Chess Academy, which was started in December 2020, is striving to fulfil Anand’s dream of converting GMs to Super GMs.Gukesh (Elo 2783, world No 5), India’s current highest-rated player Arjun Erigaisi (2801, world No 4), R Praggnanandhaa (2737, world No 17), and Nihal Sarin (2676, world No 49).



If ever an example was needed of someone giving back to Indian sport, it is Anand. 

He has enabled India to be the world’s powerhouse in chess — the open and women’s Olympiad champion, and now the home of the reigning world champion.



 He could not control his laugh in the last couple of minutes. He was so nice that he walked elsewhere to laugh and not on Ding's face..ജയിച്ചത് ഇന്ത്യക്കാരൻ. തോറ്റത് ചൈനക്കാരൻ. അവർക്ക് രണ്ടുപേർക്കും പ്രശ്നമില്ല. പ്രശ്നം റഷ്യക്കാരന്!


1. Steinitz 2. Lasker 3. Capablanca 4. Alekhine 5. Euwe 6. Botvinnik 7. Smyslov 8. Tal 9. Petrosian 10. Spassky 11. Fischer 12. Karpov 13. Kasparov 14. Kramnik 15. Anand 16. Magnus 17. Ding 18. Gukesh



Behind most great success, there is a team and here is his:


One of the intriguing things about the World Chess Championship match is always the seconds working for each player. After becoming the 18th World Champion, D Gukesh revealed his team of seconds! They are:


GM Grzegorz Gajewski (Poland)

GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek (Poland), 

GM  Pentala Harikrishna (India)

GM Vincent Keymer (Germany)

GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland)

GM Viswanathan Anand (India)

IM Jan Klimkowski (Poland)

Paddy Upton (Mental coach, South Africa)


During the Candidates, IM Jan Klimkowski was helping Gajewski. Vishy Anand was not officially part of the seconds team. However, Gukesh mentioned that he attended and helped remotely during one of the  training sessions!


A big congratulations to the whole team who ably supported Gukesh in his journey to becoming the World Champion!


The New Boss. Wins from a drawn position. Luck is when opportunity meets preparation. Enormous day.

He through Jisha introduced me to our female chess grandmasters.


Earlier Anish Sarkar was in limelight for his play as three year old, and seeing this picture,  took for granted that she was his mother. I was not aware, she was India's most notable female chess grandmaster is Koneru Humpy. She earned the Grandmaster title in 2002 at the age of 15, making her the youngest woman to achieve this distinction at the time.


Key Highlights of Koneru Humpy's Career:

World Rapid Chess Champion (2019): Humpy won the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship, showcasing her exceptional skill in faster time controls.

Multiple Gold Medals: She has represented India in numerous international tournaments, including the Chess Olympiad and the Asian Games, winning several medals.

FIDE Rating: Humpy consistently ranks among the top female players globally.

Pioneering Achievement: She broke barriers for Indian women in chess, inspiring a new generation of female players.

Other notable female chess players from India include Harika Dronavalli, a multiple-time Women's World Chess Championship medalist, and Tania Sachdev, an International Master and Woman Grandmaster known for her achievements and chess commentary.

Hope better years are ahead for Indian chess players.




1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good read Meera, thank you for bringing some insight about Gukesh's personal life, names of 18 Worlds Champions etc. Yes Koneru Humpy has achieved a lot for India at very young age, an amazing player. Looking forward more wins for INDIA..and excited for Anish Sarkar's future achievements. He is such a cute wonder, little boy. God bless our Future World Champion 🏆 🤞