Money isn't the reason I play chess: Gukesh on being 'new multi-millionaire'

'MY DESIRE TO WIN IS STRONGER THAN THE FEAR OF LOSING'

SINGAPORE: The "multi-millionaire" tag does "mean a lot" to new world champion D Gukesh, but he doesn't play the game for material gains but for that unbridled joy, which he has been able to retain since the time a chessboard used to be the "coolest toy" for him.

Gukesh, the 18-year-old from Chennai, is now richer by Rs 11.45 crore, which he will receive from FIDE as prize money for beating Ding Liren of China in the final.

Gukesh's father, Rajnikanth, gave up his career as an ENT surgeon to accompany his son on the circuit, while his mother, Padmakumari, who is a microbiologist, became the sole earner of the family.

Asked what exactly being a multi-millionaire means to him, Gukesh said, "It means a lot. When I got into chess, we (as a family) had to make some hard decisions. My parents had gone through financial and emotional hardships. Now, we are more comfortable, and parents don't need to think about those things," Gukesh told FIDE in an interview.

"Personally, money isn't the reason I play chess," he said.