D Gukesh, the youngest world chess champion, who himself is an inspiration to many, has recently revealed the personality behind his inspiration. In a recent interview with the CSK YouTube channel, he was all praise for the former captain of the CSK in IPL, MS Dhoni. He revealed how he follows Captain Cool’s approach to remaining calm and composed under pressure in high-stakes chess games.
Regarding MS Dhoni being his inspiration, he said, “MS Dhoni is one sportsperson I really admire. To this day, he is the one. How he doesn’t react to anything that happens. How he is able to calmly think in any situation. In the highest-pressure moments, he is able to think with a clear mind. I grew up watching that. It felt like I had to emulate it in my own craft.”
He revealed how he is naturally calm under all circumstances, but when he loses his cool, he remembers how MS Dhoni handles pressure during his matches. He said, ” In that sense, he really inspired me. I don’t react to things much. I am good at handling pressure. In that way, he has really helped me in my career. Not only as an inspiration but in my game as well.”
“When there is a high-pressure moment, I tend to think about how Dhoni handled so much pressure in a particular situation. Those things have really helped me calm down. Dhoni, I think, said in an interview: ‘Keep doing the simple things, keep the mind clear when the situation is very difficult. Having seen Dhoni so many times, it has impacted me.”
He also revealed how he has been a die-hard fan of Dhoni since childhood: “Since childhood, I am a huge Dhoni fan. Back when I was following cricket a lot, Dhoni matches for sure I used to watch! Although I have always wanted to visit, but this is my first time in Chepauk! I’ve always wanted to come visit and watch a few matches, but usually during the season I’m playing matches,”
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D Gukesh has achieved immense success at such a young age in chess. He became the world’s youngest chess champion in 2024 and the youngest to defeat Magnus Carlsen in an official game in 2022. He has crossed the ELI rating of 2700, becoming one of the youngest players to achieve this feat.
Later, he reached a rating of 2750, surpassing the legendary chess icon, Viswanathan Anand, to become India’s top-rated player. He’s currently ranked World Number 3, and he looks forward to doing well in the upcoming Freestyle Chess Tour after having a disappointing run in the first leg of the tour.
Also Read: Indian GM Vidit Gujrathi Claims The 12th Spot At The Freestyle Chess Tour
