Two Chennai classmates who once posed with each other's trophies are now carrying India's hopes on the world stage.
Nine years ago, a photograph captured two serious-looking children holding trophies almost half their size.
They were Savitha Shri and D Gukesh, then national Under-11 champions in the girls' and open sections. For the photograph, they swapped trophies, each holding the other's prize.
Nobody in that frame could have known where chess would take them.
Today, one is the world champion. The other has just produced the tournament of her life.
Two Kids, One School, One Game
As reported by Susan Ninan in the Hindustan Times, the story began in Chennai, where Gukesh and Savitha attended the same school and travelled to tournaments together.
They often returned from the same events with titles of their own.
In 2018, both won world titles in their respective age groups at the World Cadets Championship in Spain. Gukesh won the Under-12 open title, while Savitha took the Under-12 girls' crown.
Their careers then began to move at different speeds.
Gukesh became a grandmaster at 12, won the Candidates Tournament at 17 and, at 18, became the youngest undisputed world champion in chess history.
Savitha's journey was slower, but no less demanding.
A Rough Patch for the Champion
After becoming world champion, Gukesh found the game increasingly difficult. Wins became harder to come by, and he went through a prolonged struggle for form.
The Olympiad, however, has traditionally been a strong stage for him.
In 2022 and 2024, he won individual gold medals on the top board. This time, his dip in form meant he was moved to Board 4, where he faced lower-rated opponents.
Away from much of the spotlight, the 20-year-old gradually rediscovered his rhythm.
He finished with 8.5 points from 11 games, scoring seven wins and three draws before losing his final-round game. His performance earned him an individual silver medal.
One of his most impressive games came against Germany's Alexander Donchenko in Round 9.
Gukesh's knights were awkwardly placed and his king appeared vulnerable. But he kept creating counterplay, and Donchenko's advantage gradually disappeared. Gukesh eventually won, helping India secure victory over Germany.
Savitha's Breakthrough
If Gukesh arrived at the Olympiad looking to recover his form, Savitha arrived ready to show how far she had come.
The 19-year-old International Master went unbeaten on Board 5. She scored 9 points from 10 games, with eight wins and two draws, and claimed individual gold.
She was India's highest-scoring performer across both the open and women's sections.
Her results also reflected her fighting spirit.
Against China's Zhai Mo in Round 10, Savitha lost a pawn and missed an opportunity in an otherwise equal position. Yet she fought her way back into the game and turned the situation around.
In the final round, with a medal at stake, she again recovered from a difficult position, found equality and secured the draw that helped India win bronze in the women's team event.
The Price Behind the Dream
Behind both careers are parents who reorganised their lives around their children's chess.
Savitha's interest in the game began after watching her older brother, Mugesh, play. Her father, Baskar, was then working as an electrical technician in Singapore and knew little about competitive chess.
He bought a chessboard and pieces for Rs 500, initially believing that might be all they needed.
It was only the beginning.
Tournament fees, coaching and travel expenses quickly mounted. Both children played chess, but the family could not afford to support both at the same level.
Baskar eventually asked his son to concentrate on his studies, a decision he still wishes circumstances had not forced him to make.
Friends and well-wishers helped the family. At one point, jewellery was pawned to keep Savitha's chess journey going.
Eventually, Baskar quit his job and spent much of the following decade travelling with his daughter to tournaments.
Along the way, he became close to Gukesh's father, as the two families often travelled together.
When Gukesh became world champion, Baskar says his family celebrated as though the achievement belonged to their own child.
The Puzzle That Says It All
ChessBase founder Frederic Friedel has a memorable story about the two young players.
When they were around 12, Friedel seated them in front of an empty chessboard and presented them with a puzzle composed in 1922.
There were no pieces on the board. The position had to exist entirely in their minds.
Friedel had used the exercise for years to study how young players think. He had even tried it once with a 23-year-old Garry Kasparov.
Gukesh solved the puzzle.
Then Friedel asked them to move the white king to a different square.
Savitha stood before the empty board for 25 minutes.
Her eyes moved across squares where there were no pieces, testing possibilities, rejecting them and beginning again.
She did not solve the puzzle. But Friedel was impressed by her concentration and the way she worked through the position.
When he moved on to logic puzzles, he found Savitha much faster than Gukesh.
He gave her the nickname "Clevergirl".
More Than Two Medals
The story of Gukesh and Savitha is about more than medals.
It is also about the sacrifices behind young sporting careers. A father quit his job. A family pawned jewellery. Friends and well-wishers stepped in when money became a barrier.
Their journeys also show that champions do not win every game.
Gukesh's struggles after reaching the summit are a reminder that success does not eliminate difficult phases. Savitha's breakthrough, meanwhile, shows what years of patience, persistence and support can produce.
Nine years after two Chennai schoolchildren were photographed holding each other's trophies, they were once again delivering for India on the international stage.
The trophies have changed.
The stage has grown.
But the shared journey that began in a Chennai classroom continues to shape two of India's most remarkable chess stories.
Nine years ago, a photograph captured two serious-looking children holding trophies almost half their size.
They were Savitha Shri and D Gukesh, then national Under-11 champions in the girls' and open sections. For the photograph, they swapped trophies, each holding the other's prize.
Nobody in that frame could have known where chess would take them.
Today, one is the world champion. The other has just produced the tournament of her life.
Two Kids, One School, One Game
As reported by Susan Ninan in the Hindustan Times, the story began in Chennai, where Gukesh and Savitha attended the same school and travelled to tournaments together.
They often returned from the same events with titles of their own.
In 2018, both won world titles in their respective age groups at the World Cadets Championship in Spain. Gukesh won the Under-12 open title, while Savitha took the Under-12 girls' crown.
Their careers then began to move at different speeds.
Gukesh became a grandmaster at 12, won the Candidates Tournament at 17 and, at 18, became the youngest undisputed world champion in chess history.
Savitha's journey was slower, but no less demanding.
A Rough Patch for the Champion
After becoming world champion, Gukesh found the game increasingly difficult. Wins became harder to come by, and he went through a prolonged struggle for form.
The Olympiad, however, has traditionally been a strong stage for him.
In 2022 and 2024, he won individual gold medals on the top board. This time, his dip in form meant he was moved to Board 4, where he faced lower-rated opponents.
Away from much of the spotlight, the 20-year-old gradually rediscovered his rhythm.
He finished with 8.5 points from 11 games, scoring seven wins and three draws before losing his final-round game. His performance earned him an individual silver medal.
One of his most impressive games came against Germany's Alexander Donchenko in Round 9.
Gukesh's knights were awkwardly placed and his king appeared vulnerable. But he kept creating counterplay, and Donchenko's advantage gradually disappeared. Gukesh eventually won, helping India secure victory over Germany.
Savitha's Breakthrough
If Gukesh arrived at the Olympiad looking to recover his form, Savitha arrived ready to show how far she had come.
The 19-year-old International Master went unbeaten on Board 5. She scored 9 points from 10 games, with eight wins and two draws, and claimed individual gold.
She was India's highest-scoring performer across both the open and women's sections.
Her results also reflected her fighting spirit.
Against China's Zhai Mo in Round 10, Savitha lost a pawn and missed an opportunity in an otherwise equal position. Yet she fought her way back into the game and turned the situation around.
In the final round, with a medal at stake, she again recovered from a difficult position, found equality and secured the draw that helped India win bronze in the women's team event.
The Price Behind the Dream
Behind both careers are parents who reorganised their lives around their children's chess.
Savitha's interest in the game began after watching her older brother, Mugesh, play. Her father, Baskar, was then working as an electrical technician in Singapore and knew little about competitive chess.
He bought a chessboard and pieces for Rs 500, initially believing that might be all they needed.
It was only the beginning.
Tournament fees, coaching and travel expenses quickly mounted. Both children played chess, but the family could not afford to support both at the same level.
Baskar eventually asked his son to concentrate on his studies, a decision he still wishes circumstances had not forced him to make.
Friends and well-wishers helped the family. At one point, jewellery was pawned to keep Savitha's chess journey going.
Eventually, Baskar quit his job and spent much of the following decade travelling with his daughter to tournaments.
Along the way, he became close to Gukesh's father, as the two families often travelled together.
When Gukesh became world champion, Baskar says his family celebrated as though the achievement belonged to their own child.
The Puzzle That Says It All
ChessBase founder Frederic Friedel has a memorable story about the two young players.
When they were around 12, Friedel seated them in front of an empty chessboard and presented them with a puzzle composed in 1922.
There were no pieces on the board. The position had to exist entirely in their minds.
Friedel had used the exercise for years to study how young players think. He had even tried it once with a 23-year-old Garry Kasparov.
Gukesh solved the puzzle.
Then Friedel asked them to move the white king to a different square.
Savitha stood before the empty board for 25 minutes.
Her eyes moved across squares where there were no pieces, testing possibilities, rejecting them and beginning again.
She did not solve the puzzle. But Friedel was impressed by her concentration and the way she worked through the position.
When he moved on to logic puzzles, he found Savitha much faster than Gukesh.
He gave her the nickname "Clevergirl".
More Than Two Medals
The story of Gukesh and Savitha is about more than medals.
It is also about the sacrifices behind young sporting careers. A father quit his job. A family pawned jewellery. Friends and well-wishers stepped in when money became a barrier.
Their journeys also show that champions do not win every game.
Gukesh's struggles after reaching the summit are a reminder that success does not eliminate difficult phases. Savitha's breakthrough, meanwhile, shows what years of patience, persistence and support can produce.
Nine years after two Chennai schoolchildren were photographed holding each other's trophies, they were once again delivering for India on the international stage.
The trophies have changed.
The stage has grown.
But the shared journey that began in a Chennai classroom continues to shape two of India's most remarkable chess stories.
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