The Indian flag wrapped over his shoulders, D. Gukesh walked up to the stage. It was set up just a few yards away from where he had been sitting on a big gaming chair, behind a glass wall, for the past three weeks, fighting the battle of his life.
He was presented with the medal and was also garlanded. Then that moment arrived.
FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich handed over the World Championship trophy to Gukesh. He took a close look at it – he had; he had been dreaming of it every day — he smiled at the cheering audience, and posed for the cameras.
Then came his acceptance speech.
After thanking the organisers and the Singaporeans, he looked at Ding Liren, his opponent and the World chess champion till a day ago, and said, “I admire you, and thank you for this amazing fight.”
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A couple of days ago at the press conference, shortly after missing a winning move in Game 12, and thus potentially weakening his chances of becoming the champion, it was evident that he was having a tough time. When there was a question about Viswanathan Anand, India’s first World champion, Gukesh smiled and wished Happy Birthday to his mentor, who had turned 55 on that day.
Grace under pressure is an enviable quality. And he is just 18.
He may be a gentle soul off the board, well-mannered, soft-spoken, sporting a friendly smile on his bearded face, but on the chessboard, he has an uncompromising style. As Ding often found out, he is not the one who would take the easy out for a draw and preserve the energy for the following game.
He would, like the World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, grind, trying to build on the slightest of advantages. He would grind even if there is no advantage and the game had reached a drawn position for all practical purposes.
That quality of Gukesh came to the fore right through the match. It helped him win the final game, too, and thus the World title without having to play the tie-breakers. Many, including Ding in all likelihood, had felt that Gukesh had probably lesser chances in the tie-breaker of shorter time controls. But they weren’t aware of the countless blitz games he had played during his preparation.
His strong preparation, especially in the opening, was apparent in the match. He had a clear edge in the opening, during which he usually made his moves at frenetic speed, giving him an advantage on the clock. Ding himself admitted that he was often surprised by Gukesh’s openings.
His biggest strength is his ability to calculate his moves accurately. Daniil Dubov, who worked as a second for Carlsen in two World championships, told Sportstar recently that Gukesh at his best was like a chess engine (computer).
Gukesh may not have been at his very best here, perhaps. He still was good enough to win the World championship.
And he is young enough that he could be several years from his peak. That may not be a pleasant thought for all those top Grandmasters eyeing the crown that is sitting pretty on his head.
