Decision to pull him out of school 'was scary,' says world chess champion Gukesh's mother

In an exciting 14-game series in Singapore, 18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju defeated China's Ding Liren to become the youngest World Chess Champion, rewriting history.

His victory got praise all around the world, not only for the extraordinary skill of his gameplay but also for the special sacrifices that paved the way for his quick rise to fame.

His mother, Padma Kumari, has played a pivotal role in his remarkable journey by openly discussing the family's struggles and decisions.

Withdrawing Gukesh from formal education after 4th or 5th grade was one of the most important and unorthodox decisions.

"There are many critical moments when we doubted ourselves. I don't know how to say it exactly. Whenever he didn’t play well, we used to wonder whether we had made the right decision for him,” said Kumari.

“He was very young, and it was our responsibility to make decisions for him. You know, he didn’t go to school after fourth or fifth grade,” she added.

This decision, while unconventional in the contemporary Indian setting, enabled Gukesh to focus entirely on his passion for the game.

"So, in India—or anywhere—it’s a big decision. For any child, not studying is risky. It was a risk-taking moment, deciding whether it was appropriate to stop his studies and put him fully into chess," she added.

She continued, “Whenever he achieved something or his rating improved, we felt happy, like we were on the right path. But as parents, whenever he didn’t do well in a tournament, we doubted ourselves—not Gukesh, but our decision. This happened many times, especially during his younger days.”

“But as he matured, we could see how disciplined and hardworking he was. That gave us confidence. We knew he would definitely come up,” said Kumari.

In spite of the doubts and difficulties, Kumari emphasized her strong faith in God and her unwavering faith in her son's ability and diligence.

“Not sending him to school was such a tough call, and even now, many people say we took a risk. You know, choosing a different path—keeping him out of school and putting him fully into chess—came with so much uncertainty,” Kumari added.

“Initially, we thought we’d wait till 8th grade and then decide. But even after 9th grade, we saw him showing improvement, so we kept going. By God’s grace, everything went well,” she recounted.

Kumari added, “This (seeing Gukesh become the world chess champion) is the first time I feel we made the correct decision. He wouldn’t have been able to balance both school and chess. When you focus entirely on one thing—your passion—you can definitely shine.”