'Why does it look like we took Gukesh hostage?' Indian grandmaster's pic with YouTuber Alexandra Botez sparks amusement

A viral photo of chess prodigy D. Gukesh with streamer Alexandra Botez has taken the internet by storm, drawing playful reactions from fans.

Indian chess grandmaster D. Gukesh, who chalked history to becoming the youngest World Chess Champion at 18, is making headlines again—but this time for something unrelated to chess. A recent photo of him alongside American-Canadian streamer Alexandra Botez has gone viral, sparking a flurry of reactions across social media.

Alexandra Botez shared the photo on X.(X/@alexandraBotez)

Botez, known for her engaging chess content, met Gukesh at a recent event and shared a light-hearted post on platform X (formerly Twitter). Her caption, "Why does it look like we took D Gukesh hostage?" quickly grabbed attention, racking up over a million views within just 10 hours.

Take a look at the post:

Fans flooded the post with humorous responses. One user joked, "No, he is obviously thinking about his next championship already." Another added, "Because he looks too calm for the chaos around him." Some even pointed out that Botez had previously used the same caption for a photo with chess legend Viswanathan Anand.

Youngest world champion

The 18-year-old defeated reigning champion Ding Liren in a gruelling three-week battle. This triumph made him the youngest world champion in chess history, surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record by over four years.

Hailing from Chennai, Gukesh is only the second Indian to claim the world title, following in the footsteps of five-time champion Viswanathan Anand.

Gukesh delivered a thrilling performance on Thursday, staging a remarkable comeback to secure a draw against Alireza Firouzja in their seventh-place playoff match at the Weissenhaus leg of the ongoing Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.

The closely contested match saw Gukesh on the back foot for most of the game, with the evaluation bar favouring Alireza. At one point, the situation looked dire for the Indian grandmaster—Alireza had over 18 minutes on his clock, while Gukesh was down to just 47 seconds. However, in a stunning display of resilience and experience, Gukesh managed to turn the tide and hold his opponent to a draw, leaving fans in awe of his fighting spirit.