Video: Can Gukesh become World Champion? What Chennai’s chess scene thinks about the teenage prodigy

Chennai’s chess clubs have been buzzing with excitement after city boy D. Gukesh’s historic triumph at the 2024 FIDE Candidates in Toronto. The 17-year-old became the youngest ever to win the tournament and the youngest to qualify for the World Championship final, breaking a 40-year-old record previously held by Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov.

“His games are very strategic, attacking and very impressive and I learn a lot from him,”Krithigga, a student at the T. Nagar Chess Academy told Sportstar.

“He was met with a lot of criticism; players such as Magnus predicted he would perform poorly in the tournament, but he proved them wrong,” Shravan, another student here added.

For several decades, chess in India has been synonymous with Viswanathan Anand. With young chess prodigies like Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin among others registering impressive results over the last few years, the baton seems to be passing to the next generation of chess wizards.

“Just like how Sachin is the God of cricket, Vishy Anand is the God of Chess” stated Balasubramanian, a coach at the T Nagar chess academy. “There is no doubt that with players like Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa the sport has gotten more limelight and coverage,” he added.

“After the news (of Gukesh’s win), a lot of parents have enrolled their young kids in our academy,” Balasubramanian said, highlighting the impact of Gukesh’s achievement at the grassroots.

The young grandmaster’s victory adds to a Chennai’s (and by extension, Tamil Nadu’s) storied legacy in the sport.

Thirty out of 84 Grandmasters in India belong to Tamil Nadu making it the hotbed of chess. “There is something special about the people in Tamil Nadu, they view chess not just as a sport but also a way to sharpen the minds of the youth in other life aspects as well,” Kameshwaran V, India’s first international chess arbiter, said.