Gukesh is spearheading India's rise: Anand on teenager overtaking him in FIDE ranking

Chess legend Viswanathan Anand on Saturday described 17-year-old Grandmaster D Gukesh overtaking him as the highest-rated Indian player in FIDE rankings as a “historic” achievement and said the teenager is spearheading the country’s rise in the sport.

On Tuesday, Gukesh posted a win over Azerbaijan’s Misratdin Iskandarov in a second round match of the World Cup in Baku to overtake his idol Anand in live world (FIDE) rankings.

“Obviously, it is a historic day for Indian chess, what Gukesh has achieved. Even though I have been semi-retired for a couple of years, still to lose a spot you have held for 37 years is, well its historic, I have to admit that,” Anand told PTI.

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