D Gukesh at India Today Conclave 2025

D Gukesh on success, stability: Glad my parents don't have to worry about money

World Champion D Gukesh dedicated his title win to his parents, saying that they don't have to think about money anymore. Gukesh's parents played a big role in shaping his career and his Championship win over Ding Liren.

In Short

• Gukesh defeated Ding Liren to win the title in 2024

• The 18-year-old said his parents didn't allow him to face the struggles

• Gukesh is happy that his parents can live comfortably

World Champion D Gukesh dedicated his World Championship win to his parents during the India Today Conclave 2025 on Saturday, March 8. Gukesh defeated Ding Liren to become the World Champion last year and his parents have played a big role in his success. Gukesh's parents, Rajnikanth and Padmakumari, ensured that their son was able to pursue his dreams.

Rajnikanth gave up his career as an ENT surgeon to accompany the Indian grandmaster to tournaments across the globe while his mother became the sole earner of the family. Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2025, the world champion said he was glad to get the win for his parents. The 18-year-old said his parents didn't allow him to face the struggles they went through for his career. Gukesh felt that last year was financially good for his family and he is happy his parents can live a comfortable life now.

"I'm really glad that I could do this for my parents. More than the financial aspect, because throughout my career, I think they did not allow me to realise the struggles that they were going through, but they did go through a lot of financial struggles, and I remember like when it was around 2018, 2019, we were basically playing tournaments. Basically, my parents' friends were sponsoring me to play tournaments abroad, and it was quite difficult at that time and we had a lot of help from very nice people and very selfless people who came forward to help."

"Now, the last year was financially very, very good for us, and I think it means a lot to me in the sense that my parents need not think about money any more. We can lead a comfortable life, not struggle like before," said Gukesh.

'I get recognised more'

Gukesh admitted that a few things have changed in his life since his World Championship win and claimed it was a childhood dream for him. The 18-year-old said that his schedule has gotten a bit hectic now and he is started to get recognised a lot more than before.

"After the World Championship for sure, some things have changed. Because becoming the world champion was like my childhood dream, and to have achieved that was like a very satisfying feeling. The first week or two, I was super excited. I was like celebrating, but then the next tournament started coming up. I started preparing again. But a few things have changed, like my schedule is a bit more hectic now. And yeah, like when I go out, I generally get recognised much more than before, but other than that, nothing, nothing too huge," said Gukesh.

D Gukesh explains how Covid-19 fuelled India's chess revolution

World Chess Champion D Gukesh credited the Covid-19 lockdown and Viswanathan Anand's mentorship for India's chess revolution. He credited the training and government support for helping young talents achieve global success in the sport.

In Short

• Gukesh credited Viswanathan Anand’s mentorship for India’s chess revolution

• He recognised the support received from the government

• Gukesh became the World Chess Champion in 2024 by beating Ding Liren

Indian World Chess Champion D Gukesh, speaking at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi on March 8, explained how the lockdown period during the Covid-19 pandemic played a crucial role in igniting a chess revolution in India. He credited the support of five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand, whose guidance and initiatives helped nurture young talents like himself, ultimately bringing glory to the country.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave at the Taj Palace in New Delhi on Saturday, Gukesh highlighted how he and his Indian compatriots received invaluable assistance from the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy an institution founded by Anand in partnership with WestBridge Capital in 2020. He reflected on how the inability to leave home during the pandemic was not a major setback for Indian chess players. The availability of online training platforms and structured guidance from Anand’s academy allowed them to sharpen their skills and compete at the highest level.

"I think a lot of factors play a role here. I think one of the biggest contributions, without a doubt, is what Vishy (Viswanathan Anand) sir has been doing, not only with his achievements, not only being an inspiration, but around 2020 December, he partnered with WestBridge to launch WestBridge Anand Academy. I am a part, I'm a student in the academy and Vishy Sir's vision was to select the top talented youngsters at that time in the lockdown because there were no tournaments happening," Gukesh said.

"It was all online and a lot of people were not working as hard. So it was a great moment for us to actually take that advantage. It was super exciting for me, and I'm sure a lot of youngsters, because getting in touch with Vishy sir, to discuss chess with him regularly, was so motivating that the lockdown, the pandemic, didn't feel like a waste of time. We were actually working super hard," he added.

Gukesh also acknowledged the growing recognition and support from the Indian government in the form of sponsorships and training facilities. He expressed gratitude for being part of the chess revolution in India and fulfilling his childhood dream of winning the World Championship.

"I think at least in the last couple of years, the support from the government and the corporate sponsorships have been great. Players are constantly rewarded for wins after the Olympiad candidates, my world championship. I was rewarded, and we could see how much it means to the government and the people of India," he added.

How India's Chess Revolution Unfolded

India’s chess boom has been evident in recent years, with both the men’s and women’s teams securing gold at the Chess Olympiad. The men’s team featured young stars like D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi, while the women’s team included Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev.

The rise of Indian chess has not stopped there. Gukesh’s historic World Championship victory over China’s Ding Liren, Praggnanandhaa’s triumph at the Tata Steel Chess Masters, and Arjun Erigaisi becoming only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to achieve a 2800 Elo rating in classical chess in December 2024 have further cemented India's dominance in the sport.

With a new generation of chess prodigies emerging and structured training academies fostering talent, India’s chess revolution is set to continue, creating a lasting global impact in the game.

World Champion D Gukesh showed off his 'alpha walk' during the India Today Concalve 2025 on Saturday, March 8. Gukesh spoke about his World title win and how he wanted to dedicate it to his parents, the impact of Viswanathan Anand on India's golden chess revolution and more.

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