It was an emotional night for Gukesh Dommaraju, as he was nonetheless soaking in his sudden coronation because the youngest-ever chess world champion in historical past. However the 18-year-old needed to rapidly compose himself and face loads of questions from the media in Singapore. Among the many many queries thrown at him over practically 50 minutes, a pair made him take into consideration the longer term. What subsequent for {the teenager} who has reached the highest of the chess world?
Gukesh, even in his second of crowning glory, didn’t lose perspective. “My purpose is to play within the prime degree for longest time potential. I’ve simply began my journey. I wish to have a really lengthy profession and to remain on the very prime,” he mentioned, earlier than rapidly including: “Turning into the world champion doesn’t imply I’m one of the best participant, clearly that’s Magnus.”
Gukesh mentioned that it will likely be a motivating issue for him within the years to come back, figuring out that there’s somebody on the market at such a superior degree. “That can assist me maintain doing the precise issues, working laborious, and attempting to succeed in the extent of greatness that Magnus has achieved.”
Later, there was an much more particular query thrown at him: who would he need his subsequent challenger to be — his teammates with who he dominated the Chess Olympiad this yr or the nice Carlsen? For context, Carlsen had mentioned that he gained’t be defending his World Championships title in 2022 as he was not concerned about taking part in the match anymore having gained it 5 instances, regardless that it may be traditionally vital. “I don’t rule out participation sooner or later, however I additionally wouldn’t depend on it,” Carlsen was quoted as saying by Chess.com again in July 2022.
“Clearly taking part in in opposition to Magnus in a world championship can be superb, it might be the hardest problem there’s in chess. I imply, it’s as much as Magnus, however I might love to check myself in opposition to one of the best participant on this planet,” Gukesh mentioned.
Talking about taking over his Indian teammates probably, Gukesh added: “Arjun, Pragg, Nihal, Vidit… – plenty of these guys are doing so much for chess and Indian chess. We gained the Olympiad which was a fantastic expertise for me and the group. I’m positive we’re going to have very lengthy careers and I hope all of us will maintain combating in opposition to one another, maintain pushing, maintain motivating one another, and likewise within the group tournaments we’ll play collectively and win much more. I might additionally like to play in opposition to the Indian opponent within the World Championship.”
Saying this was the dream he had been chasing all alongside, Gukesh recalled one other Carlsen second from when he was a child, at age 7. “After I was watching the match in 2013 (Vishy vs Carlsen in Chennai), I used to be within the stands and I used to be wanting contained in the glass field and I assumed it’d be so cool to be inside someday (taking part in). After which when Magnus gained I assumed I actually wish to be the one to deliver again the title to India and this dream that I had like greater than 10 years in the past has been the only most essential factor in my life to this point,” Gukesh mentioned.
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