On Thursday that little schoolboy (Gukesh), now a talented teenager, fulfilled his ambition and made the country proud. “I won the title for myself, my loved ones, and my country. There is nothing better than that,” said Gukesh.
Today, Dommaraju Gukesh, the young prince of Indian chess, stands on top of the world. His thrilling last-minute victory over the reigning world champion Ding Liren of China was like a cricket match that ended with a six off the last ball. Gukesh’s dramatic triumph has reaffirmed the rise of India’s youth brigade and has consolidated India’s position as a superpower of world chess.
One foreign commentator remarked: “The triumph of the 18-year-old Gukesh represents the dawn of a new era. His victory underscores the growing influence of India in global chess. Full credit to India which was also a double gold medalist in the Chess Olympiad.”
The crown of the World Champion that was once in the possession of Viswanathan Anand has now come back to India. Teenager Gukesh is the youngest player in history to wear that coveted crown. This was the first time that the world title was contested by two Asian players. The game used to be dominated by Europeans, especially Russian players. But now the balance of power has tilted in favour of India.
Unexpected error
What was interesting was that till the nail biting battle entered the 54th move, it looked like it would end in yet another draw. But on the 55th move the Chinese champion made an uncharacteristic error. Chinese sportsmen, in any game, are extremely tough. They are like machines and do not commit errors.
But this time Ding Liren did so when he was under extreme pressure. Ding offered a trade of rooks in an attempt to simplify the position and go for a draw. But this gave Gukesh a chance to reach a winning King-pawn endgame situation.
Could not believe
However, at first Gukesh could not believe that his opponent had made such a move. He scanned the board anxiously trying to figure out whether it was a trap. But when he realised that it was a genuine blunder, he covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. He did not want his opponent to realise the gravity of the mistake.
But Liren noticed that gesture and understood that something had gone wrong. “It took me a while to realise that I had blundered. Nevertheless, I think that I played my best tournament of the year. But in the end, it was a fair result. I have no regrets,” Ding said.
Showed respect
It was all over in the 58th move after a hard fought contest that lasted four hours. When the match ended, as a mark of respect and sportsmanship, Gukesh stood up before shaking his opponent’s hand. The Indian youngster said: “Ding Liren is an inspiration. He is an incredible fighter and he is one of the greatest champions in history. Despite being unwell, he played a great game till the end.”
Wild allegations
But the unexpected finish drew sharp comments from many experts. Conspiracy theories began floating and some said that Ding had deliberately thrown away the match. Former champion Magnus Carlsen labelled Ding’s mistake as one of the worst blunders that he had seen. He said that situation was a textbook ending that is studied by all grandmasters since their early days.
Andrei Filatov, head of the Russian Chess Federation created a controversy by alleging that Ding Liren had deliberately lost the match and called for the governing body of world chess (FIDE), to launch an investigation into the result of the match.
But such reactions are usual when unexpected events occur in the world of sports. In this instance, one has to ask what Ding Liren would gain by throwing away the prestige and rewards of a world crown. And why would the Chinese government tolerate it? Moreover, why would he battle hard for four hours and then destroy his chances?
The reality is that an Indian boy emerging from the shadows has upstaged the established players from the traditionally strong nations, which has caused some people heartburn.
Dream fulfilled
Gukesh was seven when Magnus Carlsen of Sweden defeated Viswanathan Anand to snatch the world title. Gukesh decided that more than anything else, he wanted to bring the title back to India. Yesterday, that little schoolboy, now a talented teenager, fulfilled his ambition and made the country proud. “I won the title for myself, my loved ones, and my country. There is nothing better than that,” said Gukesh.
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