Great whimsy

Sir — If it is not exorbitant rents or water shortages, it is landlords and their bizarre demands that make it nigh impossible to find a room of one’s one. In a strange turn of events, a woman applying for a flat in Gurugram was disqualified for — get this — being in a steady relationship. Usually, it is single women who are spurned by overtly moral landlords. But the landlady in Gurugram apparently preferred casual relationships and wanted a tenant who felt the same. There was a time when death was the greatest of equalisers; now it is whimsical landlords and ladies — none is immune to their strange demands.

Shalini Sengupta, Calcutta

Spectacular win

Sir — In a 14-roundmatch that lasted nearlyfour hours, Gukesh Dom­maraju defeated Ding Liren of China in 58 moves and became the 18th world champion in the history of chess (“At 18, on top of the world”, Dec 13). In October 2022, Dommaraju had defeated the then-world champion, Magnus Carlsen, in a rapid chess tournament. He also won the Candidates Tournament earlier in 2024. Later, he played a pivotal role in the Indian men’s team winning the gold medal in the Chess Olympiad. Before Dommaraju, Viswanathan Anand last played the World Chess Championship in2012. By ending a 12-year drought and triumphing in the WCC, Dommaraju has added another feather to India’s cap.

Dattaprasad Shirodkar, Mumbai

Sir — Both Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju started the 14th round of the WCC final with their scores level at 6.5. But Ding committed a blunder that cost him the match. It required grit, determination as well as intelligence to play 14 rounds against the reigning champion, all of which Dommaraju displayed, bagging the title of World Chess Champion.

Gopalaswamy J., Chennai

Sir — Eighteen-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju from India has created history by becoming the youngest person to win the WCC after defeating Ding Liren even though he lost in the first round of the final. His success will attract other young minds towards chess.

D.V.G. Sankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh

Sir — In a thrilling final in Singapore, Gukesh Do­mmaraju shattered the record set by Garry Kasparov who was 22 when he beat Anatoly Karpov in the WCC in 1985. The media should have given this match more coverage to help popularise the game of chess. The government, too, should support and encourage chess prodigies. Dommaraju’s journey, marked by familial sacrifices and rigorous training, saw him overcome financial hurdles and other obstacles.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — Gukesh Dommaraju should be applauded by the nation for his incredible feat. Surely a national award awaits Dommaraju for his achievement.

Murtaza Ahmad, Calcutta

Sir — Gukesh Dommaraju is following in the footsteps of Viswanathan Anand, the only other Indian to have achieved the honour of winning the WCC. There has been a surge of young Indian talent making waves at the top echelons of world chess in recent years.

S.S. Paul, Nadia

Sir — Gukesh Domma­raju’s stunning victory is a source of great pride for India and his home state of Tamil Nadu.

Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai

Sir — Gukesh Domma­raju’s victory in the WCCis a result of his hard work and determination. It will inspire millions of youngsters to dream big and bring laurels for our nation in chess as well as in other fields.

N. Mahadevan, Chennai