Mar 07, 2025 08:33 PM IST
The 18-year-old is aware of he can nonetheless enhance in all codecs and he has lots to look ahead too in that regard
Kolkata: He’s the chess world champion at 18 however D Gukesh says there’s a lot left to attain earlier than comparisons with former world champion Magnus Carlsen could make sense. Carlsen had refused to defend the title, citing a scarcity of motivation for enjoying classical chess within the present construction.
World Chess Champion D Gukesh. (PTI)
Carlsen’s withdrawal led to Ding claiming the world title in 2023 after defeating Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi. Gukesh turned the youngest world champion after defeating Ding final December. “I’m honoured to win the world championship title but there is a long way to go before comparing with Magnus,” mentioned Gukesh on the Trailblazers 3.0 sports activities conclave right here on Friday.
“It’s a positive thing that I have won this but there is also someone like Magnus to look up to and set myself as a benchmark. Other than that, I have to improve in other formats—rapid, blitz, now freestyle has come up. When you have nothing to work on, you get bored. I have lots to look forward to. Also, in classical, I’m World No 3… I think. So still a long way to go.”
Not with out Viswanathan Anand might have Indian chess gained a lot prominence however this decade has already witnessed an distinctive spurt of talent—led by Gukesh, Arjun Ergaisi and R Praggnanandhaa—that has taken the aggressive world by storm. Gukesh feels this dominance can solely develop. “I don’t think there is any other country that has so many players at the top but also just coming up. US has a lot of amazing players but they are already well-established,” he mentioned.
“It’s really amazing to see how we are pushing each other, growing together. This very healthy rivalry we have. Already we are seeing a lot of Indians coming out on top in important tournaments like Olympiad, World Championship, Tata Steel Chess etc. It’s really exciting for Indian chess and I’m really happy to be part of this amazing group.”
Like every Chennai boy, Gukesh’s eyes lit up on the point out of MS Dhoni, revealing how he was as a lot his idol as Anand. “Not only his achievements but how he handles himself on the field during those critical moments. It’s really inspiring,” mentioned Gukesh. “Had two near-misses in the past but I would love to meet him.”
Advisable Matters Keep up to date with the most recent sports activities information, together with newest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, the place Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all of the motion from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, comply with your favorite soccer groups and gamers with the most recent match outcomes, and get the most recent on worldwide hockey tournaments and sequence. See Extra Keep up to date with the most recent sports activities information, together with newest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, the place Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all of the motion from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, comply with your favorite soccer groups and gamers with the most recent match outcomes, and get the most recent on worldwide hockey tournaments and sequence.
See Much less