D Gukesh: Young Chess Champion Inspired by MS Dhoni!

D Gukesh is the current world chess champion and holds the title of the youngest champion ever! He made history by defeating Ding Liren in December, becoming a national hero. Although he is popular, little is known about him since he is quite shy.

Recently, Gukesh played in the Paris Freestyle Grand Slam event but didn’t make it to the playoffs. However, he is preparing for the upcoming Norway Open in May, where he will compete against the famous Magnus Carlsen.

In an interview with RevSportz, Gukesh shared that he is a big fan of former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni. He recalled watching the thrilling final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup when he was just five years old. Gukesh feels a special connection to Dhoni, especially because he is from Chennai, where Dhoni played for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He admires Dhoni’s calmness under pressure, and he tries to stay composed during his chess matches too.

Gukesh also respects tennis star Novak Djokovic. For the World Championship, he had a mental coach named Paddy Upton, who had worked with Dhoni’s cricket team in 2011. Upton helped Gukesh come up with strategies to tire out Liren during their match. Gukesh said they prepared for months to handle every situation and hoped Liren would make mistakes while playing for a long time.

Gukesh is definitely making waves in the chess world!