Chess legend Viswanathan Anand had a delightful encounter with young grandmaster D Gukesh at Budapest airport, which he humorously shared via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account. Gukesh, who recently won his second consecutive individual gold medal at the Chess Olympiad on Sunday, September 22, was flying back to India alongside his idol.
The 18-year-old Gukesh, a rising star in Indian chess, has often spoken of his admiration for Anand. Their meeting at the airport was a special moment for both, especially after Gukesh’s recent success. Anand, ever the gracious mentor, has been full of praise for Gukesh’s outstanding performances in the tournament and leading up to his second Olympiad gold.
Anand’s lighthearted post added a fun twist to the encounter, giving fans a glimpse of the camaraderie between the chess great and the young prodigy.
“Just running into a random chess player!” Anand’s post said.
In an exclusive interaction with India Today, Anand had previously expressed his high regard for Gukesh’s abilities, even suggesting that the young grandmaster is a favourite to challenge reigning World Champion Ding Liren. Anand noted that Gukesh is playing at a much higher level than his peers and could have the edge over Liren, whose form has dipped in recent times.
“See for Gukesh. this is a sensational result. You know, terms he has performed at a 3000 clip…”But, Ding again had a very understated performance here in the Olympiad. He’s been struggling all year but from Gukesh’s point of view and I think he knows this well enough, and he’s hardwired into him. He must go there and treat Ding just like he treats every other opponent,” Gukesh told India Today.