Our youngsters know power of hard work: Kunte

MUMBAI: Less than 24 hours after his win, the speakers of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha talked about D Gukesh's World Chess Championship triumph during their respective sessions.

- Shahid Judge

To Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte, this was the first indication of the impact Gukesh's win has had in India.

"This shows how serious they are becoming," Kunte told HT. "Now it's time for the administration to utilise the impact of the achievement and create opportunities for the next generation."

On Thursday, Gukesh became only the second Indian to win a classical format World Championship title after he beat China's Ding Liren in the 14th game of their match in Singapore.

It was a perfect way for the 18-year-old from Chennai to cap off a memorable year. Not just for himself, but for Indian chess in general.

In April, Gukesh, against the odds, booked his spot in the World Championship match by winning the Candidates in Toronto. By June, Divya Deshmukh won the women's title at the Junior World Chess Championship, and then the open and women's teams won historic gold medals at the Olympiad in September.

The crescendo of optimism continued with each passing win, all culminating with the World Championship. And this was the first time in over a decade that this high degree of expectation had been placed on Indian chess.