 "Gukesh talks about meaning of skibidi, viral add with Viswanathan Anand: 'It was quite funny'")
Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh recently opened up about his viral advertisement with chess legend Viswanathan Anand, where the two shared a hilarious moment revolving around the Gen Z slang “Skibidi.” Gukesh has been in spotlight ever since he became the World Chess Champion after defeating Ding Liren by a scoreline of 7½–6½. The win made him the youngest ever to win the title, breaking Garry Kasparov’s record.
In a Q&A session with Freestyle Style, Gukesh revealed that he himself was unsure about the term’s meaning and had to turn to Vishy Anand for an explanation.
Gukesh explains the meaning of Skibidi
The advertisement in question, created for an e-commerce platform, took social media by storm for its witty humor and the chemistry between the two chess icons. Gukesh and Anand could be seen exchanging banters in the commercial that was released last month. Gukesh was recently asked about the meaning of the slang “Skibidi” that Anand uses in the advertisement. Here’s what the reigning world champion said:
“It was quite funny during the shoot because I was supposed to be the Gen Z guy, and when I read the script, I was like, ‘Vishy Sir, what does it mean?’ and he was explaining it to me. But as far as I understand, Skibidi means something weird or funny, I don’t know,” Gukesh admitted with a laugh.
In his video on Freestyle Chess’s YouTube channel, Gukesh also revealed his favourite chess player of all time. Gukesh picked the late American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer as the “greatest genius of all time.”
Impact Shorts
View All“I consider (Bobby) Fischer to be the GOAT or the greatest genius of all time,” Gukesh said when asked who is the GOAT in his opinion.
When asked about his sleeping routine, Gukesh admitted to having a poor schedule, especially when he is at home. However, he added that he is actively working to improve this habit. Gukesh also shared that his favorite cartoon series is ‘Chota Bheem,’ naming it as his top choice. Meanwhile, his favourite books to read are Abhinav Bindra’s biography ‘A Shot at History’ and Paddy Upton’s ‘The Barefoot Coach.’
As far as Gukesh’s work is concerned, he recently ended the Weissenhaus Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 without a single win. He will next be seen in action during the second leg of the Chess960 tournament, scheduled to be held from 8 to 15 April in Paris, France.
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