Your chance to meet the 18th World Champion D Gukesh in Bangalore!

by Himank Ghosh - 30/12/2024

D Gukesh is the World Chess Champion 2024. He is the 18th World Champion, and the youngest undisputed World Champion in the history of the sport! WestBridge-Anand Chess Academy (WACA), a collaboration of WestBridge Capital and Vishy Anand, has played a pivotal role in the growth of Gukesh in becoming what he is today. WestBridge Capital will felicitate Gukesh in Bangalore on 5th January 2025 - and you have a chance to come visit! Spectators will get to see Gukesh, Vishy Anand, and core members of Team Gukesh at the Good Shepherd Auditorium in Bangalore from 4 PM IST on 5th January. Read the article for all the details and link to book your tickets.

Meet Gukesh, Vishy, Harikrishna, Gajewski, Vishu in Bangalore | WACA celebrates the World Champion

Book your tickets to the event here

The WestBridge-Anand Chess Academy started operating in 2020, and had it's first celebratory meeting in Bangalore in September 2022. They had another celebration event after Gukesh won the Candidates in May 2024 - and now Gukesh has become the World Champion! WACA has now planned an event on 5th January 2025, celebrating Gukesh's win against Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship match 2024.

A wonderful photo clicked right after Gukesh became the World Champion. Sandeep Singhal, the man on your left has provided invaluable support to Gukesh in his journey to become the World Champion! Sandeep is the co-founder and managing partner of WestBridge Capital - the main sponsor of Gukesh.

Gukesh, his trainers, and Vishy Anand himself will be coming in this event! The entire felicitation ceremony will be streamed live on the ChessBase India YouTube Channel. Here are the key details:

Venue: Good Shepherd Auditorium, Bangalore

Date and Timing: 5th January 2025, 4 p.m. The entries will be done first come and first serve, so it is best to arrive by 3:30 p.m

Who will be there: D Gukesh, Vishy Anand, Grzegorz Gajewski, Pentala Harikrishna, and Vishnu Prasanna.

Program: Interactions with all the guests, and their felicitation. The event will run from 4-6:30 p.m.

Ticket price: Rs. 100. All the money collected will be donated to HelpChess, an organization founded by ChessBase India to support talented Indian youngsters in their journey to become top chess players!

The Good Shepherd Auditorium has a capacity of seating close to 800 people

You can book your tickets via the BookmyShow link provided here

The chief Guests to be felicitated in the event:

It has only been a few days since Gukesh has returned to India after defeating Ding Liren and becoming the 18th World Chess Champion. It will be fantastic to see him in this event! What a proud moment for WACA to felicitate him on this special day - their first World Champion student! | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

5-time World Champion and FIDE Deputy President Vishy Anand made the inaugural move in Round 4 of the World Chess Championship match between D Gukesh and Ding Liren. Anand has inspired a whole generation of chess players, and his role in Gukesh becoming the World Champion is huge - he is the co-founder of WACA! He saw Gukesh's victory up close in Singapore - and now he is coming to Bangalore for this wonderful celebration event. | Photo: Maria Emelianova

GM Grzegorz Gajewski (on the right) is the main trainer of D Gukesh since 2023. Gajewski has worked with Vishy Anand in the past, and now he is Gukesh's second! He certainly played a huge role in Gukesh becoming the World Champion - and he will be coming to the felicitation event. | Photo: Maria Emelianova

It was a fantastic surprise when we got to know that GM Pentala Harikrishna has been working as Gukesh's second in the Candidates tournament and the World Chess Championship match. Harikrishna is the second of World Champion D Gukesh and the Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun! One of the strongest players of Indian Chess, Harikrishna will be attending the felicitation ceremony in Bangalore.

Vishnu Prasanna has been Gukesh's trainer for a very long time - he has helped Gukesh in his journey to become a Grandmaster and cross 2700. What a proud moment it was for Vishnu back home to see his student become the World Champion! Vishnu will be one of the Chief guests in the felicitation ceremony.

Sandeep Singhal, the co-founder of WestBridge Capital and the co-founder of WACA along with Vishy Anand hugs Gukesh after him becoming the World Champion. What an emotional moment!

IM Sagar Shah will be hosting the WACA Celebration event in Bangalore!

Check out the detailed article on WACA celebrations event 2024

The full livestream of the May 2024 WACA event | Video: ChessBase India

Gukesh on the stage playing the simul in the event (Photo: Yamini Arora / Bangalore Chess Club)

A wonderful group photo from the WACA celebrations in May! | Photo:Ashwin Subramaniam

The entire team of WACA back in 2022 at the WACA office in Bangalore.

A huge shoutout to the vision of these two individuals Sandeep Singhal and Vishy Anand. India has witnessed some tremendous performances in the world of chess in the last couple of years and WACA has played an important role in making them happen. 2024 in particular has been a fantastic year - India wins Double Olympiad Gold, Gukesh wins Candidates, and Gukesh becomes the World Champion!

Don't forget to register for the event and see you all there on the 5th of January

Important links:

WACA playlist on ChessBase India

How Vishy Anand and WACA have contributed to Indian chess

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