Since his World Chess Championship victory in Singapore, D Gukesh is probably the most popular celebrity in India right now. From felicitation ceremonies, selfies with Bollywood stars and a viral advertisement with Viswanathan Anand, the 18-year-old is hogging the limelight.
After winning the World Championship in December last year, Gukesh decided to opt out of the Rapid and Blitz Championship. He made his competitive return at the Tata Steel Chess Masters in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands. He began his new season with a massive win against Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri, followed by a draw against Slovenia’s Vladimir Fedoseev in Round 2.
Also Read: D Gukesh supports Magnus Carlsen in jeans scandal, trolls FIDE dress code with unique approach at Tata Chess Masters
‘Remember the Michael Jackson step that Vishy Sir did’: D Gukesh
Speaking during the Tata Steel Masters, the Indian grandmaster opened up on his recent viral advertisement with Anand, where the chess legend hilariously asked the youngster for his help to connect with Gen Z kids and learn their lingo.
“It was one of my first ads. Yeah, I mean, without Vishy Sir, it would have been much more difficult, I think, because, yeah, this is not exactly my character. It was a fun concept, all these funny clothes I was wearing. But with Vishy Sir, it was all fun,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“It was one of my first ads. Yeah, I mean, without Vishy Sir, it would have been much more difficult, I think, because, yeah, this is not exactly my character. It was a fun concept, all these funny clothes I was wearing. But with Vishy Sir, it was all fun,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Gukesh also revealed a funny story behind Anand learning Michael Jackson’s steps. “We were laughing between the shots. And I remember the Michael Jackson step that Vishy Sir did. We did it like 10-15 times because every time each one of us was cracking. But yeah, it was overall a lot of fun. And many people were impressed with my acting,” he said.
During the ad, Gukesh tells Anand, “Sir, nobody can teach this especially at your age.”
Then he corrects himself and says, “... at your stature, I meant. The thing is you need to know pop culture!”
In response, Anand jumps to his feet and poses like Michael Jackson and quips, “I know Michael Jackson.”
After the Tata Steel Masters, Gukesh will feature in the first tournament of the Freestyle Chess Slam, where he will also face the likes of Anand and Magnus Carlsen.