‘I’m excited to celebrate with my team and friends. There’s a little secret, though.’
IMAGE: Will D Gukesh groove again to Rajinikanth’s beats? Photograph and videos: Kind courtesy Chin An/FIDE
D Gukesh, the youngest World Chess Champion in history, described his decisive moment in Game 14 as ‘the best moment of my life’.
In a nail-biting finale in Singapore, the 18 year old defeated reigning champion Ding Liren to win the title and seal his place in chess history.
With the match tied at 6.5-6.5, Gukesh capitalised on Ding’s late-game blunder to emerge victorious.
As Gukesh reflected on his monumental achievement, he shared his plans for the night, ‘I probably won’t sleep tonight. I’m excited to celebrate with my team and friends. There’s a little secret, though.
‘On the rest day after Game 9, Gajew (Polish Grandmaster Grzegorz Gajewski, Gukesh’s second) and I went for a walk on the beach. He said if I win the championship, he’d try bungee jumping. I don’t know why, but I told him I’d join him. And now, (mental conditioning coach) Paddy (Upton) might join us too! I guess I’m looking forward to jumping off a bridge now.’
And who knows? Maybe Gukesh will celebrate his victory with a dance or two. After all, the young champion has already shown off his dance moves on social media, grooving to the popular Rajinikanth song Manasilayo.
Whether he’s making moves on the chessboard or showing off his dance skills, Gukesh is clearly a champion with style to match his substance.
