Gukesh D Seeks Tirumala Blessings Ahead Of World Championship Title Defence

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 match against Sindarov from November 24 to December 12, 2026. The contest will be held at the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland.

The Indian star will look to retain the title he won in December 2024 after defeating Ding Liren of China in Singapore. At 18 years, six months and 24 days, Gukesh became the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion in history.

His triumph marked a significant milestone for Indian chess, as he became only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the undisputed world championship.

Gukesh earned the Grandmaster title in January 2019 at the age of 12 years, seven months and 17 days, establishing himself as one of the youngest players ever to achieve the distinction.

Since then, he has continued to make his mark on the international circuit, becoming the youngest player to cross the 2750 Elo rating mark and India's highest-rated player in September 2023, surpassing five-time world champion Anand.

The Chennai-born grandmaster has also played a key role in India's success at the Chess Olympiad, winning both individual and team gold medals.

The Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is one of India's most revered pilgrimage sites and attracts millions of devotees every year. The deity is also worshipped as Balaji, Govinda and Srinivasa.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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