The youngest World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju has declared his intentions. In a one hour fifteen minutes long interview with Rahul Shrivastava, the 18-year old spoke at length about his journey so far.
Gukesh revealed how his parents put aside their ambitions to nurture his chess career. His father gave up his career as an ENT specialist to focus his energies on his son's game. It meant the sole earning member has been his mother who is a microbiologist.
He credits his school in Chennai, Velammal Vidyalaya, for fostering early interest in chess. He believes the turning point in his career has been Vishwanathan Anand's chess academy and the sponsorships including financial support by his family friends that enabled him to chase his dream.
He has a way of overcoming his fears. For example, conquering his fear of heights. Fresh after his world chess title win, Gukesh along with his coach went for bungee jumping in Singapore.
But he is not the type who believes in resting on his achievements. Gukesh said he wants to carry his competitive edge into his thirties. He said he is not a genius but a chess talent who is eager to improve and excel through discipline and hard work.
He admitted he has his share of quirks. Sometimes he's fallen into a phase of being a night owl. But he also possesses a strong resolve which allowed him to give up ice creams for a year.
He is a MS Dhoni and Novak Djokovic fan. He likes Arijit Singh's songs.
At 18, Gukesh has developed an understanding of the world. He shares good relations within his chess circle, but admits he can't be 'close friends' with his rivals.
