Gukesh says Chennai 'one of the best cities in world of chess' as world champion felicitated by Tamil Nadu CM Stalin

Newly-crowned world champion Dommaraju Gukesh expressed gratitude and described his Chennai as “one of the best cities in the world of chess” after being felicitated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in the presence of chess legend and his mentor Viswanathan Anand at an event in the state capital on Tuesday.

Gukesh received a cheque of Rs 5 crore from CM Stalin at the felicitation event that took place a day after he returned to his hometown of Chennai and five days after his 58-move triumph over Chinese Grandmaster Ding Liren in Game 14 of the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship that sealed a 7.5-6.5 victory for the teen prodigy .

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“Chennai is one of the best cities in the world of chess. This victory could not have been possible without the support of the Tamil Nadu government and the guidance of Chennai’s Grandmasters,” Gukesh, who became the youngest chess world champion of all time and only the second Indian after Anand, said at the event.

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“Vishy sir, too, was the inspiration and role model in this journey,” added the 18-year-old.

A stellar celebration as we honoured the phenomenal @DGukesh, who has captured the world’s attention and made Chennai shine on the global stage.

More than just a felicitation, this is a moment to inspire our youth to pursue excellence in their respective fields.

The… pic.twitter.com/grhmcp04sL

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) December 17, 2024

Besides the cheque of Rs 5 crore, Stalin also presented Gukesh a shawl on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government while announcing the setup of the Home of Chess Academy, an initiative by the state sports department.

“Tamil Nadu has a history of having 31 Chess grandmasters out of 85 in India. This felicitation is not only for Gukesh but also for all achievers. A Home of Chess Academy will be established to encourage the talent and to groom achievers.

“I laud our Gukesh for becoming the world chess champion at the young age of 18. Our Chennai lad has set a record and the entire world is appreciating him.

“So, take him as your inspiration and achieve. We should create lakhs of Gukeshes,” said Stalin, who handed the cheque to Gukesh in the presence of his parents.

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Gukesh, who broke Garry Kasparov’s 39-year-old record to become the youngest chess world champion, had earlier arrived at the venue in a roadshow holding the tricolour. Gukesh and his parents had earlier been mobbed by thousands of fans at the Chennai International Airport on Monday after his arrival from Singapore.