D Gukesh was all of seven when he dreamed of becoming the world champion in chess. His parents believed in him but that he would realise his dream in only 11 years, becoming the youngest chess world champion at 18, did not cross their minds. When the Indian grandmaster beat defending champion Ding Liren of China in a 14-game marathon that went right down to the wire to become only the second Indian after Vishwanathan Anand to win the coveted crown, it took some time for his father, Rajinikanth and mother Padma Kumari to believe. Years of hard work, unparalleled sacrifice and unmatched determination finally yielded results.
The tears in Gukesh’s eyes and the shock in his father’s expression were the biggest proof. Moments later, the embrace that followed between the two was just an emotional culmination of a long journey.
“I have been dreaming about this moment since I started my chess journey at about 7… but the dream was probably bigger for them than it was for me,” Gukesh said about his parents after beating Ding in the dying stages of the 14th game on Thursday. The Indian secured the requisite 7.5 points as against 6.5 of Liren after winning the last classical time control game of the 14-game match that seemed headed for a draw for the most part.
Gukesh’s father quit job, mother became sole bread-earner
The journey to the top hasn’t been easy and has involved sacrifices not only from Gukesh but also from his parents. Father Rajinikanth had to quit his well-respected job as an ENT surgeon, and Padma, a microbiologist, had to take up the mantle for the family.
Rajinikanth had to stop practice in 2017-18 as the father-son duo travelled across the world on a shoe-string budget when Gukesh chased the final GM norm, while his mother became the primary breadwinner, taking care of the household expenses.