D Gukesh gets teased by Viswanathan Anand's wife for marriage in Vidit Gujrathi's pre-wedding: ‘We can photoshop…’

In a light-hearted moment that has taken social media by storm, Aruna Anand, wife of legendary chess master Viswanathan Anand, was caught teasing world chess champion D Gukesh during the pre-wedding celebrations of grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi and his fiancée, Nidhi Kataria.

The occasion took place during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal, where Gujrathi hosted a gathering of top Indian chess stars, including Anand and Gukesh, at his residence. The group was seen enjoying a fun-filled moment while participating in a playful game involving chess pieces and a round utensil filled with water.

In the video that has since gone viral, Gujrathi, a member of the Indian men's chess team that won the gold medal at the Olympiad in Budapest and Kataria, a homoeopathic doctor, is seen competing by selecting chess pieces from the water-filled utensil. Gujrathi won the first round, while Kataria took the second round. Following this, Aruna Anand jokingly remarked to her husband, "Anand, he is saying they are sharing title," which led to an outburst of laughter from everyone in the room.

Gujrathi, always quick with a joke, replied, "But sharing the title is now the thing, no?" To which Anand humorously responded, “If married couples have Armageddon, it doesn’t end well.”

In another amusing twist, an unidentified person from the crowd turned to Aruna and jokingly asked if a similar “marriage” could take place with Gukesh on the same day. As Gukesh chatted with another guest in the distance, the person behind the camera quipped, “Everything is ready, only girl is needed.”

Without missing a beat, Aruna responded, “That (marriage) is okay. We can photoshop later also,” sending the room into another round of laughter.

The playful exchange highlights the camaraderie and fun atmosphere that prevailed during the festivities, further cementing the close-knit nature of the Indian chess community.

Gukesh in a league of his own

Gukesh recently became the youngest-ever world champion when he defeated China's Ding Liren. He is only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to claim the title.

Following his success, Gukesh was chosen for the highest sporting honour in the country - The Khel Ratna award - along with shooter Manu Bhaker, hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and para-athlete Praveen Kumar.

Gukesh became the challenger for the world title after winning the Candidates Tournament when he was 17 in 2023.

The Chennai-based Gukesh had also become the top-ranked player from India last year to end Anand's 37-year run.