Along with celebrations in India following D Gukesh’s coronation as the youngest-ever world chess champion, there were clamours in certain parts of the world. Not everybody took this in the right spirit and even alleged foul play. This isn’t new. Even before this championship duel, some top players had said that the winner would not be the rightful world champion.
The most sensational of these outbursts came from the Russian chess federation. Almost immediately after Gukesh dethroned Ding Liren, it accused the Chinese of making a bad move deliberately. It was the 55th move of that 14th and final game, when the defending champion made a blunder, which helped the Indian win from a seemingly drawn position.
How ridiculous a comment is that! They were saying that Ding lost on purpose. Why on earth would a reigning world champion do that? There was lots at stake, including glory and fame, other than a winner’s purse of $1.35 million. Does the Russian federation, which demanded a probe into it, think that Ding threw it all away just to allow Gukesh to win? Why can’t they accept that Gukesh induced that error when his opponent was under acute time pressure in a crunch game?
There were other caustic comments before and during this match in Singapore as well. Legends like Garry Kasparov said that whoever won this battle would not be the world champion. That crown, according to him, belongs to Magnus Carlsen, who since last year has decided not to participate in this championship. There were others, too, who opined this match is not a true indicator of strength.
If viewed from a distance, these things come across as expressions of frustration. For the traditional superpower of chess that dominated the game for decades, it’s difficult to digest the rise of India, the rise of youngsters to be specific. These boys have changed the world order in the last few years. In the top-most events, they have outshone everybody else including the Russians.
Not everyone can accept defeat gracefully, like Ding did. For many, it’s a bitter reality that bites. They can’t come to terms with the fact that their hegemony is gone. It’s an uncomfortable feeling actually, to find that something you enjoyed for a long time and took for granted is gone. A new generation from another country has taken control over it.
Gukesh has done very well by not paying attention to such comments. It was graceful of him to acknowledge that he is the world champion, but not the best player in the world. “There is Magnus Carlsen,” he said after the match. Asked about Carlsen’s comments underplaying his achievement, he came out of his shell just for a second by that these things “fire him up”.
This trait of Gukesh has won him many admirers in the last two days. Not just the experts present at the venue where this match took place, everybody else including the fans, volunteers and even security personnel were amazed by the 18-year-old’s calmness and humility at his moment of ecstasy. Gukesh won hearts by congratulating Ding for putting up a grand fight.
By doing that, he has set the base of his own legacy, of a champion who doesn’t indulge in bravado, but stays grounded. Winners are entitled to arrogance to an extent. People accept it because they are the best. With Gukesh, there is nothing of that sort so far. He remains humble and modest and shows no aggression. It’s a rare trait, especially at his age.
So, let the world, or certain parts of the world, say what they want. Gukesh qualified for the championship through the official channel, by making it to the Candidates and winning it. He then defeated the defending champion in an excruciating duel, in heroic style, by winning the last game with black. Nobody can take this away from him. Outside noise? It’s mostly balderdash.
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