Sports

The Truth About A 7 Year Old Kid’s Dream

Gukesh made a vow to himself as a 7 -year old kid.

He was present during Viswanathan Anand’s World Candidates Championships title match against Magnus Carlssen in Chennai in 2013. That Anand lost  that match proved to be motivating force for Gukesh who pledged to lay his hands on the World title. Finally, after a 11-year haitus, Gukesh was able to attain his pledge, becoming only the second Indian after Anand to win the coveted world title.

When the big moment came, Gukesh was an epitome of grace, humility as he did not resort to any theatrics after defeating world champion Ding Laren. In a scene which will be etched in the minds of chess lovers, he coolly rearranged the chess pieces on the board –giving respect to his opponent. It was only after this that he lifted his arms in a muted celebration.  It’s a tribute to his single minded focus and his steely determination that he became the youngest ever world champion.

“The best part of Gukesh is that he always remains humble and grounded. No matter whatever be the situation, he makes it a point to show grace and dignity wherever on whichever platform he plays,: says his first coach Vishnu Prasannna, who has been associated with the champion since the age of 10. He feels it’s not just about his game, its his overall approach and the sheer simplicity that makes him so endearing.  

Vishnu also remembers clearly telling Gukesh that Ding was the favourite for the world title. “He (Gukesh) met me a couple of weeks before the final, and I told him that Ding was the clear favourite to win. Any other player would have taken it otherwise, but not him. He smiled at me and told me that he was ready for the challenge and that he would fight tooth and nail to win the world title. I am elated that at such a young age he has managed to achieve his long cherished dream.

Vishnu who is based in Chennai can never forget the day when Gukesh and his parents approached him on a pleasant September morning some eight years ago. “I remember this extremely shy Gukesh who seemed to be hesitant to speak. His father Rajni Kanth was an ENT specialist in the city, and he wanted me to ascertain whether Gukesh had it in him to be a good player. I engaged him in a game or two, What struck me most about him that time was his sheer tenacity. He had this tenacity and grit– no matter how much the chips were down, he would find a way to extricate himself out of it.

Vishnu also said that Gukesh’s single minded focus and concentration was another standout factor. To illustrate this he narrated an incident which happened in the initial period Gukesh had joined him. ‘I was teaching a lot of young children including Gukesh. I discussed about a particular middle game move which a lot of international players make. We have the matches after this session and I noticed that among all the youngsters whom I taught this move, it was only Gukesh who implemented it during the practice match, I was able to gauge that his concentration level was way ahead of others,” he said.

To fuel Gukesh’s dreams of becoming a world champion, father Rajni Kanth made a sacrifice few fathers would have dared to do. He left his successful ENT practice and started to travel with Gukesh wherever the latter went. As a result, it was left to his wife, Padmavathi, a microbiologist to fend for the family. “What Rajni sir did was something very few parents would have done. Their immense sacrifice has no doubt steeled Gukesh’s resolve to give his 200 per cent in each and every tournament,” said Vishnu.

It must be mentioned here that there were instances when Gukesh and Rajni Kanth resorted to sleeping in chess in international tournaments in an attempt to cut corners. At that point of time, Gukesh had no sponsors and the family;s finances were down to the wire.

Slowly but surely, Gukesh started to show his prowess at the junior level. The first major international title that he won was the world youth chess championships in 2018. He followed it up with gold medal at the Asian Junior Championships the same year. These twin wins at junior level, strengthened Gukesh’s parents faith in his abilities and they wanted to take him to the next level.

Vishnu said that Gukesh proving his credentials at the highest level in the junior level, only made the task ‘tougher’—something of a surprise. Elaborating on this, he said that were a lot of juniors who made great progress and won everything. However, the transition to the senior level would be a tough one as “it as an altogether different world out there in the seniors. So the preparations and the build up had to be a altogether different one in order to ensure that Gukesh did well on the senior level,” said Vishnu.

It didn’t take Gukesh long to make his presence felt at the senior level. The champion that he is started to win among the big boys. One of his biggest moments came in 2019, when he became the second youngest Grandmaster in chess history at the age of 12 years and 7 months. “This achievement was the– I have arrived moment for Gukesh,—feels Vishnu. To become a GM at the age of 12 is something which is beyond the realms of dreams for most players. For me, this was the first real step he took towards his coronation towards the world title,” said Vishnu.  

Gukesh created ripples in 2023, when he defeated then proceeded to defeat world champion Magnus Carlssen in Norway Open in 2023. What was more impressive was the fact that he defeated Carlssen in 2 seconds—in a blitz match. That win was to be a shot in the arm for Gukesh. As he was able to exact revenge on his mentor’s tormentor. 

Gukesh then followed this up with winning a gold medal at the Chess Olympiad in Chennai. This was another clear intent of his class and intent at winning bigger titles. Thereafter, Gukesh won the candidates playoff in Toronto in April to challenge Ding for the world title.  

A very vital factor for Gukesh’s epoch victory was his interaction with high performance motivator and mental training expert Paddy Upton. Immediately after winning the candidates qualification tournament in April. It must be mentioned here that Upton, the South African, had been the mentor of the Indian team which won the 2011 World Cup and the hockey team which won bagged the bronze at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Being mentally at his best was a major factor and Gukesh’s team was very sure that they would require Upton’s services. As Gukesh himself put it,” After losing the first game, it was very important for me not to lose focus and my bearings. This is where my interaction with Upton assumed importance. He had told me no matter whatever be the reverses and setbacks, I would have to keep on focusing on my task. I feel Upton had a big role in my winning the World title,” he said.

Vishnu, feels that despite all the victories Gukesh has registered so far he is cut out for more success. It’s all about his simplicity and approach that convinces me that he is not going to stop here. We are bound to hear a lot more about his exploits in the future,” he feels.

Credit: Frans Peeters

Chacko Saji

With nearly two decades of experience in sports journalism, Saji Chacko is one of the few English media journalists who has had a chequered career across the three main media platforms i.e. print, television and digital. He has done a lot of human interest sports stories and is currently working on the biography of a famous sportsperson.

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