Newly crowned World Chess Champion, , celebrated his historic victory in style by Bungee jumping at Skypark Sentosa in Singapore. The 18-year-old prodigy shared a video of his thrilling jump on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “I did it.” In the video, Gukesh can be seen shouting, “I’m a world champion,” as he plunged through the air, in joy following his remarkable achievement.
Gukesh etched his name in history by becoming the youngest , defeating China’s Ding Liren in a nail-biting 14-game series with a scoreline of 7.5-6.5 on December 12. The match, was filled with intense moments, saw game after game ending in draws until the decisive final game.
I did it! pic.twitter.com/FUBpo5m82N
— Gukesh D (@DGukesh) December 16, 2024
Displaying exceptional tactical skills, Gukesh capitalised on a mistake by Liren to clinch the title. Overwhelmed with emotions after the victory, he broke down in tears, sharing the moment with his father and coach.
In a post-match press conference, Gukesh revealed that his coach Grzegorz Gajewski had promised that “If you win the world championship, I’m going to do bungee jumping”,Gukesh replied “I’ll also join you. —a promise he fulfilled in spectacular fashion.
Warm Welcome in India
On Monday, Gukesh returned to India and was greeted with a grand welcome at Chennai airport. Fans gathered in large numbers to celebrate the chess prodigy’s historic achievement. He later visited his alma mater, Velammal Nexus, a school renowned for nurturing chess talent, where he was felicitated alongside his parents.
The Tamil Nadu government announced a cash prize of ₹5 crore for Gukesh, while he also earned ₹11.67 crore in prize money from the FIDE World Chess Championship.
Gukesh to clash with Magnus Carlsen
After his landmark victory, Gukesh will now be preparing for his next challenge—a face-off against Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world number one and former five-time World Chess Champion. Carlsen famously defeated Indian legend Viswanathan Anand in 2013. The much-anticipated encounter between Gukesh and Carlsen is scheduled to take place in Stavanger, Norway, from May 26 to June 6, 2025.
