Chennai, 18th September 2025: Reigning World Champion Gukesh born in Chennai, India’s youngest and current chess sensation, never planned to become a professional chess player. In fact, it all started as a casual hobby. “My parents didn’t know chess could be taken as a career like that,” he recalls at iQOO’s Quest Talk with Nipun Marya. “I started it like a hobby”, he added.
<From 7-Year-Old Learner to Youngest World Chess Champion Ever – Gukesh>- Time Stamp- 5:05
The 19-year-old opens up about his early days. It was a school teacher who first spotted the spark in him. “My first teacher in school suggested to my parents that maybe I should start taking it a bit more seriously, maybe can start playing tournaments,” Gukesh at a recent episode of iQOO’s Quest Talk podcast recalls one of his most cherished memories from 2013, when the World Chess Championship was held in Chennai, just 30 minutes from his home. “It happened between Vishy sir (Viswanathan Anand) and Magnus Carlsen, that was exactly when I started to learn chess,” he says, eyes lighting up even now.
The 7-year-old boy walked into the audience room, saw his idol Viswanathan Anand and the mighty Magnus Carlsen playing behind a glass wall, and something shifted. “I can still clearly picture the moment… I went in, saw Vishy sir and Magnus playing inside the glass box, and thought to myself, I actually want to be in there and it happened like after 11 years.”
According to Gukesh, while the 64-square board may seem limited, the possibilities within it are endless and yet, humans can never truly master it. On the podcast, he spoke about legends like Viswanathan Anand, who has been playing chess for nearly 50 years and still approaches the game with curiosity, always eager to learn something new. “Chess gives you that freedom to keep exploring,” Gukesh says. And that’s what keeps the journey exciting, no matter how far you’ve come.
When The Quest Talk podcast host Nipun Marya, CEO of iQOO, asked Gukesh how he felt being called a ‘phenomenon’ and how he handled fame, the young World Champion responded with humility. He shared that he was never really exposed to the outside world much, and it was his parents who made sure that the fame never got to his head. “Both my parents were very particular that no matter the achievements, if you’re not the same person, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “Especially my mom, from a very young age, she made sure I realize that.”
Gukesh’s achievements are nothing short of extraordinary. He won team bronze and individual gold at the 44th Chess Olympiad in 2022. In September 2023, he made history by becoming the top-rated Indian player, ending Viswanathan Anand’s 37-year reign. He followed it up with a spectacular performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad in 2024, clinching both team and individual gold medals. His story is a powerful reminder that life often comes full circle and that staying humble and curious is the best way to grow, no matter how far you go.
