New Delhi, December 13, 2024: Gukesh Dommaraju’s victory at the World Chess Championship on Thursday has not only marked a monumental achievement in the world of chess but also ignited a heated battle for credit between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The 18-year-old’s stunning victory makes him the youngest-ever undisputed World Chess Champion, but as news of his success spread, so did the claims of both states, each vying to claim Gukesh as their own.
The first salvo in the state rivalry was fired by Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, MK Stalin. At 7:25 PM on Thursday, Stalin shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) congratulating Gukesh on his “remarkable achievement” and declared that the victory solidified Chennai’s status as the “global Chess Capital.” Stalin’s tweet included a photograph of him placing a gold medal around Gukesh’s neck, adding, “Tamil Nadu is proud of you.”
“Congratulations to Gukesh on becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion at 18! Your remarkable achievement continues India’s rich chess legacy and helps Chennai reaffirm its place as the global Chess Capital by producing yet another world-class champion. Tamil Nadu is proud of you” Stalin wrote.
However, no sooner had Stalin posted his message than Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu followed suit, claiming Gukesh as “our very own Telugu boy.”
“Hearty congratulations to our very own Telugu boy, Indian Grandmaster Gukesh, on scripting history in Singapore by becoming the world’s youngest chess champion at just 18! The entire nation celebrates your incredible achievement. Wishing you many more triumphs and accolades in the decades to come,” Naidu posted on X.
Rivalry over Gukesh’s origin
The rivalry between the two states hinges on Gukesh’s roots. Though Gukesh is of Telugu heritage, born in Chennai and raised there, his familial ties to Andhra Pradesh have led to conflicting claims about his origins. His parents, both medical professionals, have deep roots in the Telugu-speaking region, further fueling the debate over his “true” identity.
A battle to claim his origin and ancestry has erupted online – and swiftly devolved into a larger debate on ethnicity and language, much of which is a shared history within the southern states.
Many pointed out the Tamil Nadu has provided significant financial support for the chess star; one X user posted a screenshot of an April news report that said the government had gifted him ₹75 lakh. But several other users have tried to ‘prove’ why Gukesh is Telugu.
Gukesh was just seven when he watched compatriot Viswanathan Anand lose the world chess title in November 2013 to challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway — a match that fired up his dream to bring the crown back to India.
His breakthrough came at the age of eight, when he was rated by the international chess federation, FIDE. However, it was his experience at the 2013 World Chess Championship in Chennai – when Viswanathan Anand, India’s former champion, lost to Magnus Carlsen – that shaped his resolve to one day claim the crown himself according to the reports published in hindustantimes.com.
Reflecting on that pivotal moment, Gukesh shared with reporters after his historic win that watching Anand’s defeat in 2013 inspired him to pursue the championship. “I was in the stands and I was looking inside the glass box where the players were, and I thought it will be so cool to be inside one day,” he recalled. “When Magnus won, I thought I really want to be the one to bring back the title to India.”
