D Gukesh reveals nightmare start before Viswanathan Anand's words saved him: 'Overconfident, played horribly'

D Gukesh, who became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion after defeating Ding Liren in Singapore last year, has revealed how Viswanathan Anand’s words helped him recover from a difficult start in the title clash. Speaking on the Quest Talk podcast, the 19-year-old said he was overconfident going into the opening game of the final, which backfired. “My overconfidence in the first World Championship match made me lose. I played a horrible game, and then I kind of woke up from the dream,” Gukesh admitted. Despite having the white pieces in the first game, it was Liren who struck early to take the lead. It was then that Anand, India’s first World Champion and Gukesh’s mentor, stepped in with timely encouragement. Recalling the moment, Gukesh said, “I was in an elevator, back at the team hotel, and I was sharing it with Anand. Anand, who had also lost his first game in a 2008 title clash, told me, ‘I had 11 games to come back. You have 13.’” The advice helped the youngster regain perspective. In total, Gukesh won three games to Liren’s two, with nine drawn encounters across 14 classical rounds. The decisive blow came in the 14th and final game when a blunder from the Chinese GM handed the Indian teenager the crown. To clear his mind further after the shaky start, Gukesh also took a complete day off from chess. “That day helped me recharge. I got the mental break I needed,” he said, describing how he spent the break at a theme park, walking on the beach, ziplining, and visiting an ice cream park. Gukesh’s triumph not only gave India its latest World Champion but also underlined his remarkable rise. He had already set records before the title run, becoming the youngest player to cross a FIDE rating of 2750 at 17, and the third-youngest to reach 2700 Elo at 16. He also earned the Grandmaster title at just 12, ranking among the youngest in chess history. With Anand’s guidance and his own resilience, Gukesh sealed his place among the elite of world chess.