Fresh from his triumph at the World Chess Championship, Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh was felicitated at his school, Velammal Nexus, in Chennai on Monday. Gukesh, who became the youngest world champion last week after beating China’s Ding Liren in Singapore, also addressed the media with his parents sitting beside him. The 18-year-old received a rousing reception upon his arrival in Chennai, following his triumph over Ding. Speaking at the press conference, Gukesh opened up on the mental and emotional setbacks he had to deal with during the 14-game tie against former champion Ding.
Gukesh credited South African mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton for helping him overcome those challenges.
“In World Championships, you have to deal with a lot of mental and emotional struggles. Paddy has had with high performance coaching in different sports. For me, the conversations that we had and the suggestions he gave me to develop has been very important. I give him a lot of credit,” Gukesh told the media.
“For example, I lost the first and 12th games, two very crucial matches. It’s very difficult to handle that in those moments. Paddy’s teaching helped me overcome those moments,” he added.
Last week, Gukesh became only the second Indian to become world champion, following in the footsteps of the legendary Viswanathan Anand.
The young Grandmaster’s arrival was met with a vibrant spectacle, with cheering crowds, traditional dancers, and students from Velammal Vidyalaya, a school renowned for nurturing chess champions. Officials from the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and the All India Chess Federation (AICF) were present to honour Gukesh, who was visibly moved by the overwhelming reception.
“I am very glad to be here. I can see the support and what it means to India. You guys are amazing – you’ve given me so much energy,” Gukesh.
(With IANS Inputs)
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