A grand felicitation ceremony has been organized by the All India Chess Federation in New Delhi on Thursday for Indian chess grandmasters with outstanding achievements. It was the remarkable contribution of the teenage Grandmaster D Gukesh, Grandmaster Koneru Humpy, and Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu who recently marked new milestones globally in chess.
Honoring History-Makers: Gukesh and Humpy
The ceremony highlighted the achievements of GM D Gukesh, who made history as the youngest-ever undisputed World Chess Champion. Gukesh, the 18th World Champion since 1886, received a cash reward of ₹1 crore for his historic feat by the All India Chess Federation (AICF).
A trailblazer in Indian chess, GM Koneru Humpy was given ₹50 lakh for her stupendous performance to win the World Rapid Chess Championship for the second time. 37-year-old Humpy is an inspiration for many wives, mothers, and chess icons. This was the second time that she won the world-class event. The 37-year-old beat Irene Sukandar to bag the title.
Rising star GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, who bagged a bronze medal in the World Blitz Chess Championship, received ₹20 lakh.
AICF president Nitin Narang praised the determination of Gukesh: “Gukesh, your grit, perseverance, and refusal to settle for less define you as the youngest-ever world champion,” he declared.
Reflections from the champions
Gukesh, addressing the ceremony, reflected on a phenomenal year for Indian chess. “2024 was extraordinary. We won the Candidates Tournament, men’s and women’s Olympiads, and the World Championship. Humpy Mam’s World Rapid victory capped it off. With continued support, we can achieve even greater success,” he said.
Humpy appreciated her felicitation saying that “I have been playing chess since 30 years of age. I feel blessed that AICF has recognized our talent and hard work. Most of the time we look at cricket as a major sport. We have a lot of talent in our country and youngsters are keen to make a mark. We are moving forward to win more medals for the country,” she said.
The AICF had declared a total cash reward of ₹2.2 crore, underlining its intention to help Indian chess. Before Gukesh embarks on his Tata Steel Chess Tournament challenge from January 17 to February 2, in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, the chess fraternity observes that another extraordinary year is in store.
