CHENNAI: It would not be an exaggeration to say that Grandmaster D Gukesh's mother Padma is his chief mentor and an 'unofficial' member of his support crew.
Padma, a microbiologist, is Gukesh's go-to person ahead of every match and the two connect with each other irrespective of the time difference. The "routine" was followed during the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, where the teenager played an integral role in the India open team's maiden triumph with his stellar performances.
