The buzz around the Chess Olympiad medalist Gukesh Dommaraju’s felicitation ceremony wasn’t just about his brilliance on the chessboard. The crowd waited in suspense—until the moment the gift was revealed. A Rs 90 lakh Mercedes-Benz E-Class rolled into the spotlight, leaving everyone in awe.
But why such a luxurious gift? The answer lay in the young chess grandmaster’s recent victory. At just 18, Gukesh, one of India’s brightest chess stars, bagged two gold medals at the Chess Olympiad, making the nation proud. His school, Velammal Vidyalaya, part of the Velammal Nexus Group, decided to honor him grandly by gifting him a brand-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class, priced between Rs 87 lakh to Rs 1.
05 crore. Gukesh isn’t just any ordinary student. His school, Velammal Vidyalaya, has produced 15 of India's 83 chess grandmasters, under the mentorship of chess legend Viswanathan Anand.
Another prodigy, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, is also a student of the same school. Their extraordinary achievements reflect the institution’s commitment to nurturing chess talent. The felicitation ceremony was attended by ChessBase India’s founder, Sagar Shah, who captured the moment in a YouTube vlog.
Gukesh candidly revealed that his dedication to chess meant he hasn’t attended regular classes since the 4th standard. For the young grandmaster, this luxury sedan symbolizes more than just victory—it’s a reward for relentless pursuit, dedication, and making his mark on the global stage..