D Gukesh opens up on impact of his success on family: 'My parents don’t have to think about money anymore'

Gukesh Dommaraju has charted a meteoric rise since he ended the legendary Viswanathan Anand’s reign as India’s top-ranked chess player in August 2023. The teen chess prodigy would go on to win the Candidates Tournament as well as the Chess World Championship the following year besides starring in the historic golden double in the Chess Olympiad.

There was a time when Gukesh’s parents faced immense financial challenges in supporting his dreams of becoming a world-class chess player, to the point where they had to seek the help of friends to sponsor his participation in international tournaments.

With his red-hot run in 2024 that earned him Rs 13.6 crore in prize money, most of which came from his triumph over Chinese Grandmaster Ding Liren in the World Championship, Gukesh has ensured that his family’s days of struggle are long behind and that they need not worry about expenses any longer.

‘We had a lot of help from very, very nice and selfless people’

Speaking at ‘India Today Conclave 2025’, Gukesh reminisced the struggles that his parents had to endure, and how it means so much for him to be able to repay his parents for their sacrifices with his incredible achievements.

“I remember my parents’ friends sponsoring me to play tournaments abroad. It was quite difficult at that time, and we had a lot of help from very, very nice and selfless people. Now, the last year was financially very good for us.

“I think it means a lot to me that my parents don’t have to think about money anymore. We can lead a comfortable life, not struggle like before,” Gukesh said at the event.

‘Don’t see it taking over standard chess’: Gukesh on Freestyle

Gukesh’s fine run continued at the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Netherlands – his first event of the year – where he finished runner-up for a second consecutive year . And more recently, he had participated in the Freestyle Chess Tournament in Weissenhaus, Germany, where he finished eighth out of 10 competitors .

When asked to compare Freestyle Chess with the Classical format, in which he has been the standout player since last year and is currently ranked third in the world, he said that while the former is “exciting”, he doesn’t see it taking over the traditional format.

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“I don’t think much about it. Freestyle is exciting, and I’m happy to play it. But it’s too early to say where it’s going. We’ve had just two serious tournaments in freestyle so far.

“I wish freestyle becomes big, but I don’t see it taking over standard chess. The history and legacy of classical chess give it more value. The World Championship cycle still holds the biggest importance for now.

“Freestyle is a great addition to classical, rapid, and blitz. But yeah, we just have to see how it works. I’m open to all,” Gukesh added.