NEW DELHI: 18-year-old D Gukesh rewrote history by becoming the youngest World Chess Champion, dethroning China’s Ding Liren in a nerve-wracking 14-game series in Singapore.
His triumph stirred waves of admiration across the globe, not just for the sheer brilliance of his gameplay but also for the unique sacrifices that shaped his meteoric rise.
Central to his extraordinary journey is his mother, Padma Kumari, who candidly shared the behind-the-scenes struggles and decisions made by the family.
One of the most pivotal and unconventional choices was withdrawing Gukesh from formal schooling after the 4th or 5th grade.
In an interview with ChessBase India, Padma revealed, “There are many critical moments when we doubted ourselves. I don’t know how to say it exactly. Whenever he didn’t play well, we used to wonder whether we had made the right decision for him. He was very young, and it was our responsibility to make decisions for him. You know, he didn’t go to school after fourth or fifth grade.”
This decision, while unconventional in the contemporary Indian setting, enabled Gukesh to focus entirely on his passion for the game.
“So, in India — or anywhere — it’s a big decision. For any child, not studying is risky. It was a risk-taking moment, deciding whether it was appropriate to stop his studies and put him fully into chess,” she added.
“Whenever he achieved something or his rating improved, we felt happy, like we were on the right path. But as parents, whenever he didn’t do well in a tournament, we doubted ourselves—not Gukesh, but our decision. This happened many times, especially during his younger days. But as he matured, we could see how disciplined and hardworking he was. That gave us confidence. We knew he would definitely come up.”
Despite the scepticism and challenges, Padma emphasized her unwavering belief in her son’s talent and hard work, coupled with a deep trust in God.
“Not sending him to school was such a tough call, and even now, many people say we took a risk. You know, choosing a different path—keeping him out of school and putting him fully into chess—came with so much uncertainty. Initially, we thought we’d wait till 8th grade and then decide. But even after 9th grade, we saw him showing improvement, so we kept going. By God’s grace, everything went well,” Padma recounted.
“This (seeing Gukesh become the world chess champion) is the first time I feel we made the correct decision. He wouldn’t have been able to balance both school and chess. When you focus entirely on one thing—your passion—you can definitely shine.”
