Era of Vishy’s children dawns: Garry Kasparov on D Gukesh’s historic triumph
Chess legend Garry Kasparov hailed D Gukesh’s historic World Chess Championship triumph on December 12 as a watershed moment for Indian chess and a continuation of Viswanathan Anand’s enduring legacy. At 18, Gukesh became the youngest-ever world chess champion, defeating Ding Liren in the decisive 14th game in Singapore to claim a 7.5-6.5 victory.
Kasparov, who held the record for youngest world champion for nearly four decades, offered heartfelt congratulations to Gukesh. The Indian Grandmaster pounced on Ding’s blunder in the final classical game of the World Championship match on Thursday and Kasparov lauded the Indian teenager’s focus and solidity at crunch moments.
“He has summitted the highest peak of all: making his mother happy!” Kasparov said.
“Gukesh impressively surmounted every obstacle and opponent in his path, especially considering his age, and nothing more can be asked,” he added.
The Russian legend noted that Gukesh’s victory is not just a personal achievement but a symbol of the transformative impact Viswanathan Anand has had on Indian chess.
“The era of ‘Vishy’s children’ is truly upon us!” Kasparov declared, referencing the generation of Indian players, including Gukesh, who have risen to prominence idolising Anand and making the most of the guidance from the Indian legend.
Gukesh is from the first batch of WestBridge Anand Chess Academy, started in 2020 by the legendary Anand.
Gukesh’s achievement caps a phenomenal year for Indian chess, combining his world championship triumph with India’s unprecedented Olympiad dominance. Gukesh began the year by winning the Candidates and capped it off with the world title.
RAISE THE BAR HIGHER: KASPAROV TO INDIA
Kasparov highlighted this synergy, remarking, “Chess has returned to its cradle,” and urging India to build on its current momentum.
“The summit has been reached; now the goal must be to raise it even higher for the next ascent.”
Kasparov’s remarks echoed his earlier comments during India’s historic double gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, where he celebrated the nation’s ascent as a chess superpower.
As many as four Indians are in the top 20 of the FIDE rankings for classical chess. Apart from Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi is also in the top 5. Arjun breached the ELO rating of 2800 earlier in the year, becoming only the second Indian man after Viswanathan Anand to go past the coveted mark.
‘NOT THE STORY TODAY’
Kasparov had played down the significance of the world chess championship, saying Magnus Carlsen not choosing to compete for the crown took the sheen out of the contest.
However, the Russian legend said he was willing to overlook Carlsen’s absence to give Gukesh and Ding the credit they deserved for putting on a spirited show in Singapore.
“My thoughts on the historical world championship lineage with Magnus outside are known, but that is not the story today,” he said after Gukesh’s triumph on Thursday.
Carlsen is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of chess. Carlsen became the 16th undisputed World Chess Champion in 2013, defeating Viswanathan Anand, and went on to successfully defend his title in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021.
However, Carlsen chose not to defend his World Chess Championship title in 2023, citing a lack of motivation. He criticised the exhaustive preparation required, which he felt had become overly focused on opening theory at the expense of pure chess skills. Carlsen explained that the process of preparing for the championship no longer excited him.
