Champion Gukesh said- Liren's blunder career best moment: I wasn't sure if I would win, so I got very emotional

Question: Tell us about the feeling you got from a draw position to a winning position?

Gukesh: I was going to do my normal move when he did the elephant move. Then I realized that Liren had made a mistake, his elephant got in front of my elephant. Liren's mistake was the best moment of my life, because I knew the match was in my hands from here on out.

Gukesh moved into the winning position after an error by Liren (right). Liren resigned and Gukesh became the World Champion.

Question: How does it feel to beat the defending champions after playing 14 matches?

Gukesh: We all know what Ding Liren is, he is the best player in history. The tough competition he gave me after so much pressure shows his ability. Although Liren has struggled a bit over the past two years, he played like a true champion.

Ever since I started playing chess at the age of 6-7, I dreamed of becoming a champion. Every professional chess player dreams of becoming a world champion, but very few are able to achieve it. I thank God for the whole journey. I also thank all the people who supported me.

Question: You won Candidates and Olympiad gold this year. After Viswanathan Anand, you are the first player to lead India to a championship title. How important is this to your country?

Gukesh: It is a matter of pride to represent the country in any tournament. When I was watching the World Championship final in 2013, I imagined how different it would be to sit there. After Magnus won, I decided that I will take this title to India once again. This was the biggest dream of my life for the last 10 years. Today I completed it.

Gukesh said, I thought in 2013 that one day I will take the chess championship title to India.

Q: Tell us about the feeling of becoming the youngest world champion?

Gukesh: It would be a big thing for 8-year-old Gukesh to become the youngest champion, but now I don't think about all these records. A clip of mine from 2017 has gone viral, in which I said that I want to be the youngest champion. I have fulfilled my dream, but I think Gukesh of that time would have been happier with this record.

Question: What was the best part of the chess final for you?

Gukesh: When I entered the room for Game-1 I lost the game, but sitting in that room was a dream come true for me. Because in 2013, when Anand Sir and Magnus' final was going on, I was not even allowed to enter the audience. Then I felt that it was very important to sit on that chair with the Indian flag.

Entering the room for Game 1 of the Chess Championship Final was the best part of my trip, Gukesh said.

Question: Tears started flowing from your eyes after becoming the champion, how did you handle your emotions?

Gukesh: I was not sure if I would win, so I became very emotional. I was thinking about playing the game as long as possible. I was only thinking about the draw, I prepared myself for the tie-breaker. Then Liren made a mistake and I was in a winning position. The moment happened so fast that I couldn't control my emotions.

Question: What advice would you like to give to young Gukesh? What did you talk about with your mother after becoming champion?

Gukesh: I don't want to change anything about my career. Didn't talk much with mom, both of us were crying on the phone.

Question: How did your parents' sacrifice inspire you to play chess?

Gukesh: Both my parents are sports enthusiasts, they dreamed of becoming a chess champion more than me. Thanks is too small a word to describe his contribution. Both of them were the biggest support in my career. After leaving here I will be able to talk to him openly.

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18-year-old Gukesh is the new world champion of chess

18-year-old Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh won the World Chess Championship title in Singapore on Thursday. He defeated defending champion Ding Liren of China 7.5-6.5 in the final. …