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Elon Musk took to X to congratulate D Gukesh for becoming the youngest-ever classical chess world champion.
Elon Musk congratulated D Gukesh for becoming the youngest-ever classical chess world champion. (PTI and X)
Elon Musk congrtualted D Gukesh for becoming the youngest-ever classical chess world champion after beating Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in their best-of-14 final in Singapore on Thursday.
The 18-year-old Gukesh and defending champion Ding entered the last game tied and things appeared to be headed to rapid chess tiebreaks, but it was the youngster who was able to claim the crucial point after a blunder from Ding.
Elon Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to post his congratulatory message, commenting on D Gukesh’s post.
Gukesh was just seven when he watched compatriot Viswanathan Anand lose the world chess title in November 2013 to challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway — a match that fired up his dream to bring the crown back to India.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Gukesh cited the 2013 game as a defining episode for his success.
“I was in the stands and I was looking inside the glass box (where the players were) and I thought it will be so cool to be inside one day,” he said of the tournament in his hometown of Chennai.
“When Magnus won, I thought I really want to be the one to bring back the title to India. And this dream that I had more than 10 years ago has been the most important thing in my life so far,” he added.
“I’ve been dreaming about… living this moment for like more than 10 years.”
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The Indian teen prodigy has long been considered a rising star in the chess world after he became a chess grandmaster at 12. He had entered the match as the youngest-ever challenger to the world crown after winning the Candidates tournament earlier this year. At 18, he is four years younger than the legendary Garry Kasparov was when the Russian won his first world title in 1985.
Gukesh is now the second Indian to win the title after five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand.
“It’s a proud moment for chess, a proud moment for India… and for me, a very personal moment of pride,” Anand, who has been a mentor to Dommaraju, said in a post on X.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the 18-year-old on his “remarkable accomplishment,” calling it “the result of his unparalleled talent, hard work and unwavering determination.”
“His triumph has not only etched his name in the annals of chess history but has also inspired millions of young minds to dream big and pursue excellence,” Modi said in a post on X.
(With inputs from Agencies)
