At the Tamil Nadu government’s and the national federation’s airport here on Monday, hundreds of excited supporters waited in line to welcome newly crowned world chess champion D Gukesh as he came home.
Last week, the 18-year-old broke the record set by Russian legend Garry Kasparov, who was 22 years old in 1985, to become the youngest-ever world champion after defeating China’s Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in Singapore.
Gukesh thanked everyone for their support when he arrived.
His mother, Padmavathi, a microbiologist, accompanied him to Singapore following the final round, while his father accompanied him throughout the competition.
He will get a lavish reception at the Kalaivanar Arangam on Wallahjah Road on Tuesday, and a specially planned procession will bring him to the famous auditorium.
MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, is anticipated to attend the event and give Gukesh a Rs five crore check.
After the legendary Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh is the only other Indian to win the world championship. At his academy here, Anand was instrumental in molding the adolescent.
Beginning with his victory in the Candidates Tournament in Toronto, which made him the youngest contender for the world title, Gukesh has had an incredible year.
Later, he led India to its first-ever gold medal at the Budapest Chess Olympiad. Gukesh also received a huge financial payout of USD 1.3 million (about Rs 11.03 crore) for winning the world championship.
