Meet Gukesh D: India's chess sensation and record-breaker
At just 18, Gukesh Dommaraju made history by defeating China's Ding Liren to become the youngest World Chess Champion.
Photo Credit: Instagram/@gukesh.official
Gukesh is from a Telugu-speaking family, who hail from the Godavari delta region of Andhra Pradesh.
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The journey to success hasn’t been easy, requiring sacrifices from both Gukesh and his parents.
Photo Credit: Instagram/@gukesh.official
Gukesh's father Rajinikanth had to quit his well-respected job as an ENT surgeon, and his mother, a microbiologist, had to take up the mantle for the family.
Photo Credit: Instagram/@gukesh.official
The father-son duo travelled across the world on a shoe-string budget when Gukesh chased the final GM norm.
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Gukesh began his chess journey in 2013 with one-hour lessons, three times a week.
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That same year, Viswanathan Anand lost his world title to Norway's chess star, Magnus Carlsen.
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Gukesh, a multiple-time age group champion, earned the title of International Master in 2017 after a tournament in Cannes, France.
Photo Credit: PTI
The young champion's early achievements include winning gold in the under-9 Asian School Championship and the under-12 category at the 2018 World Youth Chess Championships.
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Gukesh continued his rapid rise, ticking off one milestone after the other.
Photo Credit: File Photo
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