KASPAROV’S HIGH PRAISE FOR GUKESH AND INDIA

New Delhi, April 23: It’s “the Indian earthquake in Toronto”, said Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov as he lauded teen Grandmaster D. Gukesh for becoming the youngest ever challenger for the world title, a triumph which marks the “shifting tectonic plates” in the game’s global order.

The 17-year-old Gukesh bettered the record created by none other than Kasparov 40 years ago. The Russian was 22 when he qualified in 1984 to play compatriot Anatoly Karpov, making him the youngest challenger of that time.

“Congratulations! The Indian earthquake in Toronto is the culmination of the shifting tectonic plates in the chess world as the 17 year old Gukesh D will face the Chinese champion Ding Liren for the highest title,” wrote Kasparov on ‘X’, obliquely referring to the Russian domination of the past.

Gukesh played out a draw with American Hikaru Nakamura in the 14th and final round to finish with nine points in the tournament that is held to decide the challenger to the world champion.

The triumph entitles Gukesh a clash against world champion Ding Liren of China in the last quarter of the year.

In another social media post Kasparov highlighted the shift in power centre of chess, saying, “Look at the names of many of the top junior players in the USA and England to see that the Chinese and Indian diaspora are just as passionate to achieve at chess.”

“The Kasparov Chess Foundation has watched this wave rise and Gukesh’s success will raise it further,” Kasparov, the undisputed world champion from 1985 till 1993, wrote on ‘X’. —