Meet man behind D Gukesh’s rapid rise
MVM Velmohan recalls the day nearly 10 years ago when he first saw a boy who had impressed the chess co-ordinator of Velammal School, the educational institution he owned. “Velavan Subbiah said this boy has the potential to emulate Viswanathan Anand and wanted us to assist him financially,” Velmohan says about the day he met D Gukesh for the first time. A decade later, one can safely say that the confidence wasn’t misplaced as Gukesh became the youngest-ever Chess World Champion, beating Ding Liren in Singapore last week. Velmohan was at hand when Gukesh reached the pinnacle of the chess world. Last Friday, after Gukesh secured the winning point, Velmohan took the next flight to Singapore. An opportunity to witness Gukesh being crowned wasn’t to be missed. And as scores of lensmen hustle to grab a picture of the new king of 64 squares on his return to Chennai, Velmohan is standing in a corner, soaking in the moment. As security guards extricate Gukesh from the melee, Velmohan dusts off the garlands from the 18-year-old’s …
