Viswanathan Anand’s 2013 world title clash with Magnus Carlsen lit the spark that drove D. Gukesh to become the youngest FIDE World Chess Champion on 12 April 2024. The 17-year-old Indian crushed Ding Liren in the final game of their Chennai showdown, ending a 12-year wait for an Indian world champion. Gukesh, who turned 18 just days before the match, called the moment the “best of his life.”

What happened in Chennai

Gukesh defeated Ding Liren 2½–1½ on 12 April in the FIDE World Championship tiebreak in Chennai. The teenager, seeded fifth, had stunned the field by winning the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament in April, becoming the youngest challenger in history. His victory in Chennai broke a 12-year streak without an Indian world champion since Anand lost the title to Carlsen in 2013.

Gukesh’s team included Grzegorz Gajewski, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Pentala Harikrishna, Vincent Keymer, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, and Jan Klimkowski. Mental trainer Paddy Upton, who steered India’s 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics hockey bronze team, played a key role. Gukesh said Upton’s guidance turned his “failing to qualify for the 2024 Candidates into a world title.”

Why Viswanathan Anand matters here

Gukesh traced his ambition to a moment in 2013 when he watched Anand and Carlsen battle on home soil. “In 2013, during the Chess World Championship in Chennai, I looked at Vishy Sir and Magnus and thought it would be really cool to be there one day,” Gukesh told reporters. “To actually sit there and see the Indian flag next to me was probably the best moment of my life. When Magnus won, I thought, ‘I really want to be the one to bring the title back to India.’”

Anand, though not an official part of Gukesh’s team, attended one training camp and helped remotely during sessions. “We all know he was supporting me,” Gukesh said. The 54-year-old Anand remains India’s only undisputed world champion, a benchmark Gukesh now joins.

What comes next for Gukesh

Gukesh plans to jump off a bridge on his next rest day, a promise he made to teammate Gayu after spotting bungee jumpers on Chennai’s beach. “Gayu said, ‘If you win this thing, I am going to jump off and do bungee jumping.’ For some reason, I said I would join too,” Gukesh said. “So now, I think I will. Maybe Paddy can join as well.”

He also revealed an emotional call with his mother right after the win. “We were both crying,” Gukesh said. On his future, he wants a shot at Magnus Carlsen, calling it “the toughest challenge in chess.” Carlsen, who dethroned Anand in 2013, still holds the title. “It’s up to Magnus, but I would love to test myself against the best player in the world,” Gukesh added.

Gukesh urged young players to “keep enjoying chess. You will achieve your dream one day.” He praised Ding Liren as a “real inspiration,” adding, “What I learned from Ding is what an incredible fighter he is. True champions fight until the very end.”