A full-circle moment for Indian chess!
Viswanathan Anand, the legend who inspired a generation, shared a heartfelt throwback photo of himself with a young D Gukesh.
“The boy who would be king,” he wrote, celebrating the prodigy’s extraordinary journey to becoming the youngest World Chess Champion.
On December 12, Gukesh made history by defeating reigning champion Ding Liren in a nail-biting final to claim the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship title.
At just 18, he shattered Garry Kasparov’s 38-year-old record and became the youngest world champion in chess history. Gukesh is now only the second Indian to hold the title, following in the footsteps of Anand, who last won it in 2012.
Recalling his inspiration, Gukesh spoke of witnessing Anand’s loss to Carlsen in 2013. “I was in the stands back then, and I thought it would be so cool to be inside the box. 11 years later, the title has come back to India.”
“This dream I had more than 10 years ago is the single most important thing in my life,” Gukesh shared after his win.
Hats off to you, Gukesh! 💙
Gukesh Dommaraju | Viswanathan Anand
#DGukesh #WorldChessChampion #IndianChess #HistoricVictory #ViswanathanAnand
[D Gukesh, World Chess Champion 2024, Chess, Indian Grandmaster]