Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated D Gukesh wholeheartedly after meeting the young chess champion and his family at his residence. The PM underlined Gukesh’s determination and dedication as he praised what he called “India’s pride.” In a tweet, Modi recalled interactions with him over the years and how inspiring his confidence and commitment to the game have been.
The Prime Minister drew to the notice of all the super feat of Gukesh, the Youngest World Champion, which he had set out to achieve as his target some years ago. That itself is a feat which says volumes about Gukesh’s hard work and perseverance and inspires scores in that direction.
Earlier this month, Gukesh had created a huge flutter when he defeated China’s Ding Liren in a nail-biting 14th game of the FIDE World Championship held in Singapore. With the championship going into the final match with the scores evenly poised at 6.5 points apiece, Gukesh showed ample skill and strategy to win 7.5-6.5.
An emotional Gukesh termed the moment as “the best of his life” during the post-match press conference. Ding Liren termed himself in shock over the critical blunder and said he “had no regrets” during his reflections of the whole tournament.
One poignant moment came after his victory when Gukesh gave the championship trophy to his parents-a gesture marking the family’s support throughout his journey. According to FIDE, the final game of the championship had 68 moves, indicating the high level of competitiveness and depth of strategy involved in the match.
