New Delhi, Oct. 31 -- D Gukesh paid a visit to Neem Karoli Baba's ashram on Wednesday, ahead of his much-anticipated FIDE World Chess Championship 2026 match against Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov. Gukesh, who became the youngest world chess champion in 2024, by defeating China's Ding Liren is preparing for a significant test of his career, as he is set to defend his title.

Gukesh's visit to Neem Karoli Baba's ashram to seek the latter's blessings comes at a time when the Indian chess champion is aiming to combine his competitive focus along with technical preparation to cope with the pressure of defending the most prestigious title in chess.

The game of chess requires a lot of mental stability. Gukesh had renowned mental conditioning c...