Before Vishwanathan Anand, this Indian legendary Cricketer was D Gukesh’s idol

Kolkata : Indian young Chess prodigy D Gukesh revealed his idol in Trailblazers Conclave 3.0, and before Indian Chess Legend Vishwanathan Anand, he’s former legendary Indian Cricketer.

The youngster stated that before Anand, India’s legendary captain and 3 times ICC Trophy winner MS Dhoni was his idol.

“MS Dhoni was my idol even before Viswanathan Anand. I had two near misses as regards meeting him. He would be in Chennai for the IPL and I really want to meet him,” Gukesh told Revsportz in a session that was titled – Celebrating The World Champion.

Then, he bowed his head in reverence for Anand. “Vishy sir’s impact on Indian chess – this boom wouldn’t have happened without what he has achieved and also what he has been doing to groom the next generation,” said Gukesh.

A product of the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy, he said: “The WACA has helped a great deal to my transformation from a Grandmaster to an elite player.”

Life has changed for Gukesh after winning the world championship. How is he dealing with that? “I have to admit it’s challenging. But it’s a positive change. It’s a privilege to be in this position. I’m actually still learning to deal with this,” he said.

With so many talented players at the elite level, Gukesh said this could be India’s decade in chess.