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Indian chess grandmaster and reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju visited the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh on Friday to offer prayers to Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy ahead of his upcoming title defence at the FIDE World Chess Championship 2026.
The 20-year-old grandmaster sought the blessings of the deity at the revered shrine atop the Tirumala hills in Tirupati district as he prepares for a challenging contest against Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov. Gukesh is scheduled to defend his world championship crown in a 14-game classical chess match against Sindarov from November 24 to December 12, 2026. The contest will take place at the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland. The Indian prodigy will look to retain the title he won in December 2024 after defeating China's Ding Liren in Singapore. At 18 years, six months and 24 days, Gukesh became the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion in history. His title triumph marked a significant milestone in Indian chess, as he became only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the undisputed world championship. Gukesh earned his Grandmaster title in January 2019 at the age of 12 years, seven months and 17 days, establishing himself as one of the youngest players to achieve the distinction. He has since continued to make his mark on the international circuit, becoming the youngest player to cross the 2750 rating mark and India's top-rated player in September 2023, surpassing five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand. The Chennai-born grandmaster has also played a key role in India's success at the Chess Olympiads, winning individual and team gold medals. The Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is among India's most revered pilgrimage destinations and attracts millions of devotees every year. The deity is also worshipped as Balaji, Govinda and Srinivasa. (ANI)
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