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Chess World Championship: I’m preparing for Ding at his best, says Gukesh

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Chess World Championship: I’m preparing for Ding at his best, says Gukesh

The 18-year-old Indian GM believes his age offers him the advantage of energy and the ability to focus for extended periods

Bengaluru: It’s perhaps not the most natural thing for an 18-year-old first-time World Championship challenger going up against the defending world champion to be seen as an outright favourite. Form favours Indian teen D Gukesh over a world champion who hasn’t quite been himself for a while now.

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How does the Indian look at the expectation he carries going into the match in such a scenario? “I’m glad people are saying this and I’m happy with my form but I don’t think it adds any extra pressure. Of course, the pressure of playing the to all World Championship is there, but there’s no additional pressure, I think I can handle it well.” Gukesh said in a media interaction.

“I don’t believe in predictions and favourites and don’t really buy into the things that people say about the match. I just think that whoever it’s able to show up every day and is at his best, will win. For me it’s just a match against a very strong player. I’m preparing for Ding at his best. My job is to go there and play good chess. It doesn’t really matter what kind of form he is in. My job is pretty clear.”

What about the preparation that such a match entails? Discontent over the format aside, five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen also came to loathe what goes into getting ready to play a World Championship that had him eventually walk away from it.

“I’m enjoying the process,” said Gukesh, “It’s different for each of us. Magnus has been doing this for so many years (unlike him). So, it’s easier for me to enjoy this than him. It’s a new experience. I think preparation will be quite important, but there will also be other parts in the match that decide the results.”

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He believes his age offers him the advantage of energy and the ability to focus for extended periods. “Everything is new for me so it’s easier to enjoy, than say someone like Fabi (Caruana) who has gone through this World Championship cycle so many times. So yeah, I don’t have that kind of baggage. The disadvantage is that I’m not as experienced and don’t have as much knowledge as them. But, till now it (age) has been positive.”

Like pretty much any strong chess player, Gukesh has studied almost all the World Championship matches but his first experience of the match came in 2013, when Viswanathan and Magnus Carslen played each other in Chennai.

“At that time, I was just starting out in chess, and it was inspiring to see such a huge match happening so close to home. I have followed all the World Championships after that closely. In 2021, I went to Dubai to watch Magnus versus Nepo and I also was following the games. It’s a very special event and I’m glad to be part of this amazing history.”

Gukesh spoke about being inspired by reading about Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra’s dedication and discipline through setbacks in his autobiography A Shot at History. “I remember one thing I really liked was Abhinav doing the right things even in difficult situations. It was amazing to see how he continued to work hard and how motivated he was after a heartbreak (2004 Olympics) and went on to win gold in the Olympics four years later.”

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Is a Sania Mirza biopic in the works? She reveals: Individuals have been conversing…

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Is a Sania Mirza biopic in the works? She reveals: Individuals have been conversing…

Sania Mirza reflects on the challenges of being famous. She prioritizes her son Izhaan, striving to maintain a balance between work and motherhood.
Sania Mirza has a lot on her plate after being appointed as Dubai’s Sports Ambassador. With a career as prolific as hers, her journey would certainly be inspiring for many people, if made into a film.

But we are yet to see one materialise on Mirza’s life. She says there has been interest showed, “A biopic has been on the cards, a lot of people have been talking about it. But I haven’t had offers of late, unless my managers have not told me about any!”

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While work goes on, with Mirza also managing her tennis academies, it didn’t prevent her from ringing in the New Year with her ‘forever date’, as she captioned her picture with her six-year-old, lovingly called Izzu.

We ask her about life as a single mother. “No matter what I do in my life, my son Izhaan is always going to be my priority. Even amongst my professional commitments, he will remain that. That doesn’t mean I don’t do other things. I try to revolve my stuff around Izhaan as much as I can,” says the 38-year-old, who became a mother in 2018.

“I also try to not leave him too much, at max maybe one-two nights if I have to travel for work. All of it works itself out. I try to find a balance,” she adds. Being a busy public figure also means that she is constantly in the public eye.

Doing and saying the right thing in her life must be a pressure. Does Mirza feel it? “Being famous or not comes with it’s own set of challenges. More than the pressure, I feel a sense of responsibility.

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I feel there are so many kids who look up to you, so you have a certain sense of responsibility about how you conduct yourself. I try to be myself as much as I can in the public eye. I feel humbled and honoured to be in this position. I speak from my heart,” she quips.

Sania Mirza, the tennis icon and former World No. 1 doubles player, has recently revealed that conversations are underway for a potential biopic about her life. In an exclusive interview, Sania opened up about how she has been approached by individuals.

interested in bringing her inspiring journey to the big screen. “Individuals have been conversing, and it’s something that could definitely happen in the future,” she shared. While she didn’t provide specifics, the possibility of a Sania Mirza biopic has excited her fans, who have long admired her achievements on and off the court.

Sania’s remarkable career includes six Grand Slam titles, a career-high doubles ranking, and her pioneering efforts to break stereotypes in the world of sports. Beyond her athletic prowess.

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she has been a vocal advocate for women’s empowerment, making to make her story even more compelling. From her struggles and sacrifices to her triumphs and resilience, a biopic would surely highlight the journey of a woman who has defied the odds and become a trailblazer in the world of tennis.

The conversation around a biopic is not surprising, as there has been increasing interest in telling the stories of influential sports figures, especially women, whose contributions have often been underappreciated. With a potential biopic on the horizon, Sania could inspire yet another generation of young athletes, especially girls, to pursue their dreams relentlessly.

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