In four years, how Viswanathan Anand's WACA shaped D Gukesh into the youngest World Chess Champion

D Gukesh scripted history in December 2024 by becoming the youngest World Chess Champion (PTI Photo)

The Indian sporting ecosystem is dominated by cricket but other disciplines are slowly catching up. And among the others, chess is one sport that has witnessed a rapid rise in the country. The players, mostly in their teenage, are doing a splendid job, the reflection of which is seen in the result. Not so long ago India saw 18-year-old D Gukesh script history as he became the youngest World Chess Champion. Gukesh achieved the feat by beating Ding Liren after engaging in a 14-round finale in Singapore last December.

Credit certainly goes to Gukesh, as being an 18-year-old and emerging victorious against a seasoned professional in one of the biggest matches of his career takes some nerves. But his achievements were not his alone; they were equally celebrated by a force that has been supporting Gukesh in this journey for four years now.

WACA (WestBridge-Anand Chess Academy), a name distinctly visible on the blue blazer Gukesh wore during the event, has been nurturing the player. In addition, WestBridge Capital has also penned an exclusive sponsorship agreement with the latest world champion for five years, which started in April last year. WACA focuses on building and improving the chess ecosystem in India and Sandeep Singhal, who is the co-founder of WACA and WestBridge, says the academy assists players by "providing last bits of input that differentiate between someone becoming a junior champion to a top ten global senior chess player in Open."

Chess legend Viswanathan Anand is the other co-founder of WACA and closely works with talents, including Gukesh. "He had a very mature view of chess. The way he interacts, and the moves he suggests, you might not expect that from someone of this age. And I thought that his grasp of chess was remarkable and there was something special," said Anand reflecting on his initial thoughts on Gukesh.

What makes Gukesh special?

D Gukesh beat Ding Liren to become the youngest World Chess Champion (AFP Photo)

While Anand was always aware of Gukesh being "very talented", the five-time World Champion added: "But since then I've realized that he was even more talented than I realized and that he has a very level head on his shoulders." Anand had only hoped that his ward would play the World Chess Championship one day, winning it by setting a new record was something he could never predict. "There was a group, extremely strong already Grandmasters at a very young age. I had been interacting with them for many years, they attended some classes of mine but it's now four years ago that we launched WACA and he (Gukesh) was on my shortlist right away.

"I tried to think what his career could evolve like and generally set a charter course through Westbridge, what he should play, what he should try, what he should aim for. We tried to have conversations but in most cases, he beat them a year or two in advance. And of course, I hoped he would play the World Championship one day, winning it in just four years, I did not predict," said Anand on working with Gukesh.

It's not solely his talent on the chess board, which has shaped Gukesh into a world champion but Sandeep highlights his "non-chess qualities", which gives you a sense of "how organized his mind is".

"How measured and how appropriate his words are, and that gives you a sense of a mind, that's sorted. He's not speaking stuff that you can't understand. If you listen to Gukesh every line he speaks is measured, he will address the question that is being asked, but his response is really sorted. And that gives you a sense of how organized his mind is.

"And his relationship with the world around him, which is based on certain values. Respect for the game of chess, respect for people around him, who's contributed to his life, whether it's his family or extended circle.

"I still remember that when one of the sessions was organized by Anand about physical fitness, the person who came most prepared was Gukesh. Imagine his body language and clothes suggesting he wanted to take self-fitness seriously. The others too, but Gukesh was right on the top," he explained.