Gukesh to face two gamers who helped him raise World Chess Championship in Tata Metal event in January

World Chess Champion D. Gukesh. FIle
| Picture Credit score: B. Jothi Ramalingam

After his historic triumph on the World chess championship in Singapore a fortnight in the past, D. Gukesh is wanting ahead to his subsequent occasion. The Tata Metal event at Wijk aan Zee within the Netherlands, beginning on January 17, will current an attention-grabbing problem for him — he’ll face off with two males that had helped him win the World title.

Vincent Keymer and P. Harikrishna are included within the event’s robust line-up. So how would it not be enjoying towards them after they helped him grow to be, at 18, the youngest World champion in historical past?

“Tata Metal is a vital event within the chess calendar that I all the time stay up for, and as common I’ll attempt to be at my finest and provides my full effort, “ Gukesh instructed The Hindu. “Each participant is tremendous robust within the subject and can be aggressive and most of them are good pals off the board. However over the board they’re all my rivals and the identical applies to Vincent and Hari. We’ll combat onerous on board and have enjoyable off it!”

Keymer and Harikrishna have been serving to Gukesh from Spain. They might do the preparation and relay the knowledge to teach Grzegorz Gajewski, who was with Gukesh in Singapore.

The Chennai teen had began because the overwhelming favorite, however had Gukesh acquired off to a foul begin, shedding the opening sport, that too with white items. However he recovered rapidly sufficient, by posting a win within the third sport to equalise the rating within the match.

Two weeks later, wanting again at his comeback, he mentioned how vital the victory in that sport was and the way he was affected by the defeat within the twelfth sport. “That comeback win will all the time stay a cherished reminiscence,” he mentioned. “However then I let go of the lead within the match with a loss within the twelfth sport. That triggered excessive feelings and examined my self perception and composure. I hope it’s a nice lesson for me for the longer term.”

If he have been to choose one transfer from those he made in all these 14 video games, which might that be?

“I used to be fairly blissful about 22. Bf4 in sport 13,” he mentioned.

That was certainly a wonderful transfer, and he went on to have a probably profitable place in that sport, which, nonetheless, resulted in a draw. He missed a chance and Ding defended fantastically, as he had been doing proper alongside, and the sport was drawn.

Gukesh then received Sport 14, to deliver the crown again to India, which had been his dream after watching Viswanathan Anand, now his mentor. He needed to be the participant that needed to deliver the World title again to India.

Anand is one in all his favorite World champions. “Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen are the others,” he mentioned. “And my favorite World championship match is the one between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in 1972.”

Gukesh needs to deal with all of the codecs of chess, together with fast and blitz. “However classical will all the time be my favorite, although I’d like to practise extra fast and blitz occasions than earlier than,” he mentioned.