Global Chess League: Viswanathan Anand vs D Gukesh - A win for experience

A clash of generations between the two Indian world champions, mentor-like Viswanathan Anand and his admirer D Gukesh, was the highlight of Day 3 in the Global Chess League (GCL) in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Having suffered successive defeats, five-time world champion Anand was a bit desperate to open his account. In front of him was his 19-year-old admirer, the reigning world champion.



When Anand became India's first world chess champion in 2000, Gukesh was not even born. When Anand lost his world title to Magnus Carlsen in 2013, Gukesh, at six, witnessed his hero losing the crown from the stands in Chennai.

After Gukesh started making steady progress, Anand began guiding him and played a pivotal role in making him the youngest world champion ever.

On Tuesday, when the two iconic players of the GCL faced off, both had suffered second round losses. With white, Anand looked in an attacking mood from the very first move, and Gukesh was a bit inaccurate.

When Gukesh gave the legend a bit of space advantage, the 56-year-old forced him to resign on the 45th turn. While experience prevailed over enthusiasm, Anand was happy to get his first points and guide Ganges Grand masters to a 12-3 victory over PBG Alaskan Knights.

Anand said, “It’s nice to play against Gukesh; he’s a very combative player.”