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D Gukesh received quite a reception. (PTI Photo)
Gukesh touched down at the Chennai airport around 3 AM IST on Thursday.
India’s chess sensation D Gukesh received a grand welcome upon arriving at the Chennai International Airport following his historic triumph in the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Candidates Tournament in Toronto.
Gukesh touched down at the Chennai airport around 3 AM IST on Thursday.
Apart from his mother and other family members, several officials of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) were present at the airport.
At the arrival gate, school students formed a guard of honour to welcome the 17-year-old, who is now the youngest chess player in history to win the Candidates Tournament. They all held a chess board-like placard in their hands.
Accompanied by his father, Gukesh came out of the Chennai airport in a blue blazer, with a royal, yellow turban.
After being felicitated by the AICF and SDAT officials, he went straight to address the reporters. The youngster, however, paused the interview as soon as he spotted his mother, Padma, in the crowd. She welcomed Gukesh with a tight hug and kissed him on his cheeks.
It was certainly an emotional moment for Gukesh, who said, “I couldn’t have asked for a better homecoming. It is a special achievement for me. I was in good shape throughout the tournament. Though the seventh-round loss was a blow, I was able to get out of it as I was in a good frame of mind.”
During an interaction with The Indian Express, Gukesh’s mother spoke about the mental state of his son ahead of the Candidates tournament.
“The pressure was getting to him so much that he would lock himself in the room. As parents, our primary focus was to get his confidence back and not to worry about titles. We kept reminding him that even if he didn’t make it to Candidates, nothing around us would change,” she said.
Gukesh’s coach Vishnu Prasanna was also present at the Chennai airport to welcome the teenage sensation. Even five months ago, Gukesh was not confirmed to feature at the international event. Prasanna, however, kept his faith.
He joined hands with Polish GM Grzegorz Gajewski to train Gukesh for the Chennai Grand Masters. The youngster secured the historic win after an easy draw in the final round of the Candidates tournament in Canada.
He will face China’s Ding Liren in the Chess World Championship.
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