'Is Gukesh Tamil Or Telugu?': Chess Champ's Feat Sparks Debate Over Cultural Roots

While Gukesh’s historic win brought pride to the nation, the discussion over Gukesh Dommaraju's roots started after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu took to X to wish "Telugu boy".

Gukesh Dommaraju, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, trained extensively in Chennai, benefiting from the city’s robust chess ecosystem.

Source : PTI

Gukesh Dommaraju made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest-ever world chess champion by defeating reigning champion Ding Liren in the 14th game of the World Chess Championship in Singapore. However, X (formerly known as Twitter) users started to debate the heritage of the 18-year-old chess prodigy—Is he a Tamil or Telugu.

While Gukesh’s historic win brought pride to the nation, the discussion over Gukesh Dommaraju's heritage started after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu took to X to wish the "Telugu boy". This soon led to a war of words on X over his roots.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, "Hearty congratulations to our very own Telugu boy, Indian Grandmaster @DGukesh, on scripting history in Singapore by becoming the world's youngest chess champion at just 18! The entire nation celebrates your incredible achievement. Wishing you many more triumphs and accolades in the decades to come!"

Hearty congratulations to our very own Telugu boy, Indian Grandmaster @DGukesh, on scripting history in Singapore by becoming the world's youngest chess champion at just 18! The entire nation celebrates your incredible achievement. Wishing you many more triumphs and accolades in… pic.twitter.com/TTAzV9CRbX

— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) December 12, 2024

 

On the other hand, stating that Tamil Nadu is proud of Gukesh, CM Stalin said, "Congratulations to @DGukesh on becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion at 18! Your remarkable achievement continues India's rich chess legacy and helps Chennai reaffirm its place as the global Chess Capital by producing yet another world-class champion. Tamil Nadu is proud of you!"

On Friday, Tamil Nadu government also announced Rs 5 crore to the chess prodigy. 

Gukesh Dommaraju, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, trained extensively in Chennai, benefiting from the city’s robust chess ecosystem. His victory not only cements India’s position in global chess but also adds to the legacy of Indian chess champions like Viswanathan Anand.