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India made a historic mark at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad held in Budapest. Top players like Gukesh D, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi helped seal the gold in the men's category, while Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal and Tania Sachdev delivered outstanding performances to bring home the gold in the women's category as well. The teams also won four individual gold medals at the international event.
Among all these stars, Gukesh D, just 18 years old, stood out as the top performer at the competition. Gukesh D delivered an unbeaten run throughout the Olympiad, securing nine wins and a draw from his 10 matches. His dominance not only earned him the individual gold medal for Board 1, but also guided India to their first-ever victory in the men’s division of the Chess Olympiad.
Grandmaster Gukesh D, star performer at the Budapest Chess Olympiad, received a luxurious gift worth Rs 90 lakh from his school. Find out what it is
Gukesh D's remarkable chess achievements have been celebrated in ways that go beyond the usual recognition for a school student. Even before his recent success at the Chess Olympiad, his school, Velammal Vidyalaya, honoured him with a luxurious Mercedes Benz E-Class in August, worth Rs 90 lakh, according to Inside Sport. The felicitation ceremony, which included a laser show and drone displays, took place after the young prodigy won the FIDE Candidates tournament
Velammal Vidyalaya, a part of the extensive Velammal school network in Tamil Nadu, has proudly produced 15 of India’s 83 chess grandmasters. Renowned grandmasters like Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali Rameshbabu have also studied from the same school.
“It’s my first car, and I am so thrilled about it,” said Gukesh, according to Chess Base India. “Velammal has supported my journey from the very beginning, and I am incredibly grateful for their continuous support and this wonderful gift.”
Gukesh D holds the distinction of being the third-youngest grandmaster ever and the third-youngest to achieve a chess rating of 2700. Adding to his impressive list of accomplishments, he became the youngest player to reach a rating of 2750. Earlier this year, he also made history as the youngest winner of the prestigious Candidates Tournament, becoming the youngest contender to vie for the World Championship title later this month.
