"This should be called a miracle": Pravin Thipsay on D Gukesh becoming world champion

Former chess player Pravin Thipsay shared his thoughts following Indian chess grandmaster D Gukesh's victory in the final game of the FIDE World Chess Championship. India's chess prodigy, Gukesh, made history last week by defeating China's Ding Liren in the decisive 14th game of the FIDE World Championship match held in Singapore.

"I think this should be called a miracle. Gukesh was about to win the match; everyone, from Garry Kasparov to Magnus Carlsen, said the same thing," Pravin Thipsay said while speaking to ANI.

Thipsay also recounted his first interaction with D Gukesh, which took place during the 2022 edition of the Chess Olympiad.

"I got a chance to play in the 2022 Chess Olympiad. There were six Indian teams participating--three men's and three women's teams. Gukesh was playing for Team B. I was the head of the delegation for the entire Indian contingent, and I interacted with everyone and watched the matches. When I saw his style, I felt it resembled Anatoly Karpov of Russia," Thipsay added.

The former player also commented on Gukesh's playing style and temperament.

"He does not rely heavily on opening preparation. He plays the game as he wishes, designing his own strategies. He is an entirely original player--a creative player, as described in books," Pravin Thipsay concluded.

The championship, tied at 6.5-6.5 heading into the final game, culminated in a stellar performance by Gukesh, who secured a 7.5-6.5 victory over Ding Liren. Following his triumph, Gukesh was overwhelmed with emotion and broke down in tears. He described the win as the "best moment of his life" during the post-match press conference.

Reflecting on the game, Ding Liren said, "I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder. I will continue to play. I think I played my best tournament of the year. It could have been better, but considering yesterday's lucky escape, it is a fair result to lose in the end. I have no regrets."

In a heartwarming gesture, Gukesh handed over the trophy to his parents immediately after receiving it. As per FIDE, at the end of game 13, the scores were tied at six and a half points each, with one classical game remaining. At that stage, a single move or mistake could make all the difference. The final game lasted for 68 moves. (ANI)