Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh on Thursday thanked the legendary Viswanathan Anand for playing a huge role in shaping his career, saying “I wouldn’t have been close to what I am now if it wasn’t for him.” 

The 17-year-old Grandmaster scripted history on Monday by winning the Candidates Chess Tournament in Toronto to become the youngest ever challenger to the world title, beating a record created by the legendary Garry Kasparov 40 years ago. The triumph paved the way for Gukesh’s clash against reigning world champion Ding Liren of China later this year.