NEW DELHI: Indian chess icons, together with five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand and reigning World Champion D Gukesh, lit up Pongal celebrations with their infectious power and dance strikes.
Becoming a member of them have been prodigious abilities Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi, all decked out in conventional apparel, veshtis, at Anand’s residence in Tamil Nadu.
A viral video from the festive gathering captured the group joyfully matching steps, showcasing the camaraderie amongst India’s chess elite.
Their coordinated dance, carried out in veshtis, mirrored the spirit of Pongal, uniting the flag bearers of a booming chess motion within the nation.
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Chess in India has surged in prominence in recent times, due to historic achievements on the worldwide stage.
From Arjun Erigaisi and Praggnanandhaa defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen to D Gukesh clinching the World Chess Championship by overcoming Ding Liren in an exciting 14-game sequence, Indian chess has by no means been extra celebrated.
Including to the accolades have been gold-medal victories for each the boys’s and ladies’s groups on the Chess Olympiad, a first-ever triumph for the nation.
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With Pongal marking the Tamil New Yr and heralding contemporary beginnings, the celebration at Anand’s residence was a becoming tribute to this golden period of Indian chess.
As mentor to many, Anand continues to play a pivotal function in shaping the way forward for the game by way of the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA), the place Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa are among the many rising stars groomed below his steering.
As for the aggressive circuit, Gukesh is about to kick off his 12 months on the prestigious Tata Metal Chess Match in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, from January 17 to February 2, 2025.
