D Gukesh has been hogging the highlight on the ongoing Tata Metal Masters chess match. The reigning world champion has been the primary attraction, and has been flocked by followers on his manner out of the venue on a regular basis. The 18-year-old grew to become the youngest-ever world champion final month when he defeated Ding Liren in Singapore.
D Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen throughout a match.
The championship reached the decisive fourteenth recreation, and it was going in response to Liren’s plan, who was attempting to implement a tie-breaker. However an enormous blunder by the Chinese language grandmaster within the fifty fifth transfer noticed him resign in a historic defeat to Gukesh. However after the win, Gukesh knew that he nonetheless wasn’t the perfect on the earth, and he revealed that it was Magnus Carlsen, who famously determined to not defend his title towards Ian Nepomniachtchi on the 2023 C’ship.
The World No. 1 cited lack of motivation, and revealed he most popular tournaments over championship matches. In the meantime, he additionally didn’t enter the cycle for the World Chess Championship 2024. After Gukesh’s win vs Liren, Carlsen said that he wouldn’t be difficult for the title after the Indian grandmaster publicly known as him out.
Magnus Carlsen to rejoin the World C’ship cycle?
However now it appears to be like like Carlsen has had a change of thoughts, and the Norwegian made an enormous revelation to Chess24 lately. He has additionally been commentating on some Tata Masters matches for Chess24. He mentioned, “I have great memories of playing Tata Steel Chess. It’s been like a detox of the soul coming to play chess for 3 weeks… In the last few years, I’ve been less and less enchanted with the prospect of playing classical. Maybe playing one last time for the road would be good.”
He additionally mentioned, “Maybe not that much, when I am looking at these top players play, I always somewhat think I want to play them but, I don’t know. I am very happy being a spectator for now. I am very grateful for everything that this tournament has done and I certainly don’t rule out coming back.”
The Tata Metal Masters can be a part of the FIDE cycle. If Carlsen does rejoin the FIDE World C’ship cycle, he’s anticipated to problem Gukesh for the world championship title. However for that to occur, he might want to win the 2026 Candidates Match.
The members on the Candidates Match are Fabiano Caruana (winner of the 2024 FIDE Circuit), top-two finishers within the FIDE Grand Swiss Match 2025, top-three finishers on the Chess World Cup 2025, winner of the 2025 FIDE Circuit and the very best score averaged participant (from August 2025 to January 2026). The following world championship within the classical format might be held in 2026, and the winner of the Candidates will tackle Gukesh.