World chess champ

IT’S been Gukesh Dommaraju’s year. In September, he led the Indian team to a historic gold medal at the biennial Chess Olympiad. Now, the 18-year-old prodigy from Chennai has fulfilled a childhood dream by becoming the youngest world champion in chess history. He is the first Indian to hold the title after Vishwanathan Anand. Twists and turns marked the 14 games in Singapore. Gukesh and China’s Ding Liren, the reigning champ, were tied with two wins each before the final game. Just when a draw seemed imminent, setting the stage for high-speed games to break the tie, Ding committed a dramatic blunder. He was gracious in defeat, marking the end of the three-week match that kept fans riveted across the globe. Former world champions Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik may have criticised the quality of play, but in the larger scheme of things, it’s the game of chess that won.

Gukesh’s victory signals a generational shift in the chess world. Yet, the new champion does not harbour any illusions. He remains outside the world’s top three by rating, and is not even the highest-rated Indian. That spot goes to 21-year-old Arjun Erigaisi. In his post-match press conference, Gukesh acknowledged that ‘becoming the world champion doesn’t mean that I’m the best player in the world, there’s obviously Magnus.’ The 34-year-old Norwegian, who is regarded as possibly the greatest chess player of all time, said Gukesh has shown the potential to establish himself as the ‘number two player in the world, who knows, maybe the number one’.

The surging popularity of chess as a spectator sport could ignite a new wave of enthusiasm. Gukesh’s achievement also cements India’s growing influence in the chess world. What’s needed is more government and private support to nurture a robust ecosystem.