Moves that won world title

Eighteen-year-old Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh has won the title at the World Chess Championship held in Singapore, bringing pride to the entire country. The disciple of Vishwanathan Anand, who conquered the world with chess, became the world champion after defeating the Chinese grandmaster who was older and more experienced than him in a 14-round fight. The teenage Indian made history by defeating Ding Liren with a thrilling move at the last minute of the last round of the fight, which was supposed to be a draw. Despite Liren having the advantage of white pieces, Gukesh fought without giving up his presence of mind and used the additional advantage of a single pawn as his key to victory.

Gukesh finished first with seven-and-a-half points after winning three games and drawing nine games against Ding Liren, who is 14 years his senior. Liren started by defeating Gukesh in the first round who played the white pieces. The second round was tied. In the third round, Gukesh played with white pieces again and got his first victory, getting equal and raising a strong challenge to Liren. No one could win in the next seven consecutive rounds. Both players had five points each at the end of 10 rounds. Gukesh won the 11th round and Liren won the 12th round. With that, the championship was tied again. The 13th round of the match was also tied but Gukesh achieved the target in the last round. Born and brought up in Chennai to a doctor couple from Telangana, Gukesh learned to play chess at the age of seven. At the age of 12, he became the second youngest star to win the title of Grandmaster, creating marvel.

He became an international star through Viswanathan Anand's Westbridge Anand Academy in Chennai. At the 2022 Chess Olympiad, the team won bronze and gold on the first board. In this year's Olympics, he won gold in team and individual events. He became the youngest candidate to face the reigning world champion by defeating the world's top grandmasters at the Candidates Tournament in April this year. At the age of 18 years and six months, Gukesh has broken the record of Garry Kasparov, who won the world title in 1985 at the age of 22. Gukesh was born in 2006. Ding Liren was 12 years old that day. Liren reached the rank of Grandmaster when Gukesh was just three. Liren, who has represented China in four Chess Olympiads and played a key role in winning the gold medal twice, has played 100 consecutive games without defeat from 2017 to 2018. In 2023, Liren defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi in a tiebreaker to become the world champion. Gukesh has captured that throne.

Gukesh's title of world champion is a great inspiration to the young Indian generation who aspires to conquer the world of chess. When Gukesh was chosen as the candidate to run against Ding Liren last April, he was too young to get the right to vote in India. Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov and Bobby Fischer had not reached such a height at this age that Gukesh has reached at the age of 18. It was the sense of purpose instilled in him at an early age that brought Gukesh to this achievement. In an interview at the age of 11, Gukesh had said that his biggest dream was to become the youngest world champion. When Carlson became the world champion in 2013 after defeating Anand, little Gukesh wanted to bring that title back to India. Anand himself was there to stand by that wish!

2024 is India's year of achievements in chess. Victory in the Candidates tournament, open and women's titles at the Chess Olympiad and the champion titles in the individual categories. Gukesh's coronation as the youngest world champion at the end of the year. India, once proud of the historic achievements of Vishwanathan Anand, has become home to a host of brilliant teenage stars. Viswanathan Anand is also to be congratulated for this achievement because he did not think of the flood that came after him. This brilliance of India is the result of Anand standing in the front to carry out the duty of taking the next generation by the hand to the paths of victory he passed.

Anand started his academy in India on the model of academies in Russia that provide chess training at an early age. It was Anand who promoted Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh. Many young players got sponsorships in chess, which cost a lot of money to train abroad, thanks to Anand's support. All the little hands holding the lamp of chess which Anand once held, have become strong. Our young generation has grown up in such a way that we can find a candidate from India itself to take on Gukesh in the next world championship. Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigeysi along with Malayali Grandmasters SL Narayanan and Nihal Sarin are chess players with the will to become world champions one day. Gukesh, who won the title of world champion, will get Rs 11.45 crore as prize money. The flow of global sponsorships in addition. Over the past 18 days, the 18-year-old has received a lot of attention from chess fans and media around the world.

It takes more presence of mind than becoming a world champion to move forward with this excellence. Gukesh has the example of Ding Liren, who could not bear the pressure and went into depression after becoming the world champion, right in front of him. Gukesh should be careful of the title of world champion, which came to him even before he stepped into youth, becoming a burden for him. Let Gukesh's crowning achievement inspire more children to step onto the chess board. Tamil Nadu government's support for chess encourages players to focus on Chennai. There are many chess talents in Kerala too. The future of Kerala players should not hang in the balance in the association issues, which are divided over the brawl for power. There should be a sympathetic stance from the government to provide facilities for playing chess in schools, libraries and city centres.