Still only 17, the dark circles around his eyes had betrayed how little sleep he had had over the last few months. In August, when he had overtaken Viswanathan Anand's live Classical Elo rating, he was breathing an air so rarified it was already Everest-ian in its achievement. In September, he had become the top-ranked Indian on a published FIDE list, a record Anand had held for over 35 years.
Still only a boy but already identified as the prince who would become king. That particular prophecy was facing a lot of headwind three months later, around the time Gukesh had checked into the plush city hotel in December. Those bags under his eyes were worrying. Later that day, as he was preparing to play in the inaugural edition of the Chennai Grand Masters, he would say this period was 'very tough'.
In the cut-throat world of elite Indian chess, being second best and breaking historical records doesn't cut it anymore. You have got to be the best every single day and twice on Sunday. Otherwise, you are in constant danger of being swallowed by the tide. It's just the name of the game. You are either the beast or you are in danger of being consumed by it.
Denne historien er fra November 23, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express.
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Denne historien er fra November 23, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The visuals sparkle, the storytelling pales
IRANGAL Moondru begins with a storyboard of events that substantiate the existence of chaos theory in life, providing ground for what is to follow.
FASCINATING SUBVERSION OF GOOD VS EVIL TALE
WICKED Part 1 captures the rebellious nature of the youth of today. But with the universally twisted notion of the wise and the wicked.
A bland rom-com devoid of ambition and direction
MAKKU Thozhil Romance begins with a sequence where Ashok Selvan's character Uma Shankar delivers an Oscar acceptance speech, and he takes in applause from Brad Pitt, Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and more.
A TEDIOUS BARRAGE OF MOSTLY UNFUNNY JOKES
S dramatic as it sounds, no one can deny the fact that Tamil cinema has been going through a severe drought of quality comedies in the last few years.
Restoring balance with chiropractic care
When we think of chiropractic care, the first thing that often comes to mind is someone lying on a table while their spine cracks and pops.
Protect your paw pal
AVENDER, vanilla, chamomile, citrus, cranberry, and whatnot.
BABY STEPS WITH NEMALINE MYOPATHY
A young parent's excitement knows no bounds to see their toddlers crawl, but what if the toddler's movements are weaker, slower than expected.
ACTING IS THE MOST DIFFICULT JOB
A MASTER OF SILENCES AND A CRAFTSMAN PAR EXCELLENCE, MANOJ BAJPAYEE, SPEAKING AT IFFI'S 'MASTERING THE UNSEEN' SESSION, UNVEILED HIS CRAFT, SHARED HIS STRUGGLES, AND REFLECTED ON HIS ENDURING LOVE AFFAIR WITH CINEMA
Love in action: The heart of Sai Baba's mission of service
VENKAT and Deepa Rani of Addanki village in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, walked out of the Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital in May 2009, joyfully holding their newborn, Sai Teja.
BABA'S VISION IS TO REACH MORE PEOPLE, GEOGRAPHIES
The mission of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba began taking shape in the early 1950s.
