NEW DELHI: Legendary Viswanathan Anand on Friday advised D Gukesh to ignore criticism of the World Championship title match against China’s Ding Liren, emphasizing that success often invites scrutiny.
Indian Grandmaster Gukesh made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion after defeating Ding Liren in the 14th and final game of the championship held in Singapore.
However, the quality of chess in the match drew criticism from some quarters.
Former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik expressed disappointment, calling it the 'end of chess as we know it'. He highlighted a critical blunder by Ding, labeling it 'childish'.
Five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen also criticized earlier rounds, remarking, "This does not look like a game between two World Championship contenders. It just looks like maybe the second round or third round of an open tournament."
Despite the criticism, Anand, a five-time World Champion and Gukesh’s mentor, celebrated the historic achievement.
"I feel very happy. I was literally watching history being made yesterday," Anand told PTI.
"It (criticism) comes with every match. To be honest, I think it just comes with the territory. You ignore it and that's all. You know Gukesh's achievement, the whole qualification, everything and his concomitant rise. I mean if you look at the Olympiad, he showed that he's actually become a much stronger player.
"He won the Candidates this year, so many good results in Toronto and he's here. So this stuff (criticism) just comes with it. You cannot expect to become world champion and not face some random criticism," added Anand.
Anand commended Gukesh’s strategic depth, noting his patient and methodical approach.
"Gukesh was not playing aggressive or anything. He had an extra pawn and was circling around, trying to find a way through," Anand said.
"Ding unexpectedly relaxed for one moment. These moments are very common in World Championship matches, almost in every match in the last 20 years," Anand added.
Reflecting on Gukesh’s development at the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA) over the past four years, Anand expressed immense pride.
"I've had a chance to watch his meteoric journey through the cycle to the World Championship match. It's a golden generation of Indian players establishing themselves at the top.
"For Gukesh to become the youngest world champion in history is truly special. It's definitely a very talented golden generation," said Anand.
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