Chennai: A felicitation ceremony was held today under the patronage of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, on behalf of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), for D Gukesh from Tamil Nadu, who won the "World Chess Championship" title at the age of 18. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand and others participated in the ceremony held at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai.
Home of Chess Academy
Speaking at the function, Chief Minister Stalin said, "Our boy Gukesh has set a new record. He has made his dream come true with his talent and hard work. He started training at the age of 7, won the Candidate Masters title at the age of 9, won the Grand Master title at the age of 12, and today he is the world champion.
"It took Gukesh only 11 years to achieve all these. His journey is full of hard work, perseverance, and self-confidence and the youth of Tamil Nadu should learn from it as an inspiration. That is why we are inviting you all and organizing this felicitation ceremony for Gukesh. The victory of one D Gukesh will create lakhs of Gukesh. Winning the competitions is not important; participation is important. The DMK government has always praised and appreciated sportsmen."
"A special chess academy called 'Home of Chess Academy' will be set up to promote the game of chess. Out of 85 Grand Masters in India, 31 are from Tamil Nadu." Stalin spoke.
Irreplaceable victory
Speaking at the ceremony, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "I congratulate Gukesh for making the world see India. The whole of India is proud to see Gukesh win his eighteenth world championship title at the age of 18. Chennai is the place for chess competitions on the world stage. Similarly, Gukesh's achievement reaffirms that Chennai is the place for chess competitions."
"I would like to thank his parents who discovered and encouraged his interest and talent in chess at a young age.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister gave Gukesh an incentive to win the chess tournament held in Chennai last year.
"No matter how much money he gets, Gukesh has now achieved an irreplaceable victory," said Udhayanidhi.
Happy moment for the Indians
Speaking at the event, Viswanathan Anand said, "This is a happy moment for all Indians. In 1991, the then Chief Minister Karunanidhi held a felicitation ceremony for me. After that, 34 years later, a felicitation ceremony was held for Gukesh."
"Chess comes from Tamil Nadu. It is from here that many people like the first international champion, grand master, world junior champion, and world champion have emerged. As soon as a talented person is found, the Tamil Nadu government provides him with all the necessary assistance. The Chess Olympiad held in Chennai has given an inspiration to Indian chess players. I met D. Gukesh when he was a boy. Photos related to that are currently circulating on the internet."
"If we talk about Gukesh, who has won the world championship title, whether it is a victory or a defeat. He only shows his calm nature when meeting the media. As soon as a match is over, he is preparing for the next match, and that is what I find attractive in him. Hard work and dedication are the reasons why he won the World Chess Champion title. At this time, I would like to thank all of Gukesh's coaches and his parents." Viswanathan Anand spoke.
Chennai Grand Master tournament
In his acceptance speech at the ceremony, Gukesh said, "It is an honor to see everyone gathered here. Greetings to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Udayanna (Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin) and everyone. My dream of becoming the youngest chess champion of the world has become a historical achievement today. My thanks to everyone who was responsible for this. We can proudly call Chennai the capital of India for chess and one of the best cities for chess in the world."
"This victory of mine would not have been possible without the cooperation of the Tamil Nadu government. For this, I would like to thank the Tamil Nadu government once again. The Tamil Nadu government plays an important role in promoting chess players. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister organized the historic 2022 Chess Olympiad in a short span of time. The Chennai Grand Master tournament was a huge motivation for my success today."
"I express my gratitude to the Tamil Nadu government for that. I especially express my gratitude to Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. He and the Tamil Nadu government have been a great source of strength for me financially. I express my gratitude to my parents for winning the world championship title. It was only because of them that this was possible. Grand Master Viswanathan Anand was a great source of strength for me. His guidance was a motivation for me. I am confident that many talented people will definitely emerge under his guidance."
"Health and mental strength are essential to winning the world chess championship title. I am deeply grateful to God, my school administration, my fans and the sponsorships for giving me these,” said Gukesh.
