Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh, who clinched the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Candidates title in April, met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence on Thursday.

During the meeting, the 17-year-old was honoured with a traditional Himachali cap, shawl, and a memento by the minister.

The two discussed the game as Gukesh shared his experiences from the tournament. The union minister extended his best wishes to him for future competitions.

In Round 14 of the FIDE Candidates, Gukesh, playing with the black pieces, held rival championship contender Hikaru Nakamura to a draw, securing his victory.

Earlier in an interview, he said, “My next goal is to make a mark at the World Championship. I am planning to give my best and focus on the right strategies to play good chess. I hope things will go in my favor.”

Expressing his desire to challenge the current champion Ding Liren, Gukesh stated that winning the crown has always been his ambition.

“I haven’t started thinking about the preparations yet; I didn’t have much time. I will soon begin focusing on the match and aim to give my best. I am eager to start preparing for the final and give it my all”, he said.

Gukesh became just the second Indian player to win the Candidates Tournament, following in the footsteps of five-time world champion, Viswanathan Anand.