NEW DELHI: D Gukesh, the newly-crowned world chess champion, received a warm welcome at the airport on Monday as hundreds of enthusiastic supporters, Tamil Nadu government officials and national federation representatives gathered to greet him. The 18-year-old surpassed Russian legend Garry Kasparov's record by becoming the youngest world champion after defeating China's Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in Singapore last week. Kasparov had set the previous record at age 22 in 1985.
Upon arrival, Gukesh expressed his gratitude for the support. "It's amazing. Your support gave me a lot of energy. It's a great feeling to win the world championship," he said whilst surrounded by eager media and fans.
