World Chess Champion Gukesh D Offers Prayers, Shaves Head at Tirumala Temple: WATCH Video

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World chess champion Gukesh D fulfilled a long-cherished wish on Wednesday by visiting the revered Tirumala Temple in Andhra Pradesh, where he shaved his head as an offering.

The 18-year-old prodigy, who became the youngest world chess champion in 2024, expressed his gratitude and sought blessings at the holy site following his historic achievement.

Gukesh has made remarkable progress in his career, earning recognition on the global stage. Speaking to the media at the temple, he emphasized his commitment to continuous improvement. "I have to keep working hard. In 2025, there are a lot of important tournaments, so I'm focusing on that. I want to improve in all formats and hopefully, at some point with God's grace, good things will happen," he said.

The young grandmaster also reflected on the sacrifices made by his parents, acknowledging their struggles in supporting his journey. At the India Today Conclave last week, Gukesh spoke about how his parents shielded him from the financial hardships they faced while ensuring he had opportunities to pursue chess. "I'm really glad that I could do this for my parents. More than the financial aspect, because throughout my career, I think they did not allow me to realise the struggles that they were going through, but they did go through a lot of financial struggles," he shared.

Recalling the challenges of 2018 and 2019, he revealed that his parents' friends helped fund his international tournaments. "My parents' friends were sponsoring me to play tournaments abroad and it was quite difficult at that time, and we had a lot of help from very nice people and very selfless people who came forward to help," he added.

Despite the ever-changing chess landscape, Gukesh remains committed to excelling in all formats. While he enjoys freestyle chess for its excitement, he believes classical chess, with its deep-rooted history, remains the most significant.

As he prepares for the challenges ahead, the young world champion remains focused on his growth, determined to achieve even greater success in the coming years.