SINGAPORE: At 18, D Gukesh has become the youngest chess world champion, a dream he first had at six. During a lively press conference, the Indian Grandmaster opened up about his journey to the top. Excerpts:
On becoming champion
I have been dreaming about this and living this moment since I was 6 or 7. I have been living this moment for more than 10 years. Every chess player wants to live this moment and to be one of them is...the only way to express is, I'm living my dream.
On his opponent, Ding Liren
He has been one of the best players in history for several years. To see how much pressure he had to face and the kind of fight he gave in this match, it shows what a true champion he is. In the games where he was completely in a losing position, he kept finding resources.
Once I took the lead, he played an amazing game to fight back. After I lost the 12th game, it was a bit disappointing, but I was also getting inspired by my opponent. Any normal human being would have given up [after game 11], but the next day he came and completely destroyed me. He's a real inspiration for me.
On his seconds
He (Grzegorz Gajewski) has been my trainer for the past two years. He's someone who works tirelessly -- so huge thank you to him. I'd also like to mention Paddy [Upton], he has been a huge support for me in the past six months. I'd also like to thank Radosław Wojtaszek, Pentala Harikrishna, Vincent Keymer, Jan Klimkowski and Jan-Krzysztof Duda."
On his parents
Whatever words I have are not enough for my parents. Both my parents right from the start, the dream was bigger for them than for me. They are both sports lovers, they did not get the chance to pursue their passion in their youth. When I was born, they decided to support me. They went to such lengths to support me -- when I look back at it it's just crazy. I can't thank them enough.
On the biggest challenge he faced during the match
The toughest challenge in the match was losing the first game. I knew it could happen...I was prepared for it. No matter how much you prepare for it -- it was humiliating. It was tough. After the game, there was a nice moment with Vishy sir (Viswanathan Anand), who was also in the lift. He told me that 'I had 11 games. You have 13'. It was a nice reminder that it's just one game and there's a long way to go. I needed some mental toughness at that moment.