After constantly criticizing D Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen makes a U turn on Gukesh's Title worthiness says, 'he a worthy world champion'

India’s teenage chess prodigy D Gukesh made history last December by defeating Chinese Grandmaster Ding Liren in Singapore to become the youngest world chess champion ever—breaking Garry Kasparov’s long-standing record. But what does former champion and current world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen think about Gukesh’s title reign?

Although Carlsen has been increasingly distancing himself from Classical chess—favoring Freestyle Chess formats instead—he had nothing but praise for Gukesh’s achievements when asked about the 18-year-old Indian’s world title.

Carlsen Acknowledges Gukesh’s Credentials

Speaking on the Take Take Take chess app, Carlsen said, “He won the Candidates ahead of a field of world beaters and he’s done incredibly well in Classical chess over the past couple of years, including one of the all-time best Olympiad performances.”

Carlsen, who voluntarily stepped away from defending his world title in 2022, was full of admiration for Gukesh’s rise. He called the Chennai-born Grandmaster’s performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest “one of the greatest ever.”

“So, is he the best player in the world? That’s still up for debate. But is he a worthy world champion by traditional standards? Absolutely,” Carlsen added.

Historic Run to the Title

Gukesh’s 7.5-6.5 win over Ding Liren in a best-of-14 Classical series crowned him the youngest world champion in chess history. Prior to that, he also became the youngest player to win the Candidates Tournament, edging out elite names like Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana.

The Indian chess star further cemented his legacy by playing a pivotal role in India’s historic double-gold run at the 2024 Chess Olympiad—where both the Open and Women’s teams clinched top honors.

Looking Ahead: Gukesh vs Carlsen at Norway Chess

While Carlsen has downplayed the significance of his upcoming Classical format showdown with Gukesh at Norway Chess later this month, the match remains highly anticipated. The 13th edition of the tournament features the world’s top players including Carlsen (No. 1), Nakamura (No. 2), Arjun Erigaisi (No. 4), and Caruana (No. 5), with Wei Yi (No. 8) completing the powerhouse lineup.

Despite Carlsen’s waning motivation for Classical chess, he admitted that Gukesh still commands immense respect in the format. Whether Gukesh can silence his doubters with a strong showing against Carlsen remains to be seen—but one thing is clear: the chess world is watching.

Gukesh after his Title win

“My goal is to play in the top level for the longest time possible. I have just started my journey. I want to have a very long career and to stay at the very top,” he said, before adding: “Becoming the world champion does not mean I am the best player, obviously that is Magnus.”

That will help me keep doing the right things, working hard, and trying to reach the level of greatness that Magnus has achieved.” He later added, “”Obviously playing against Magnus in a world championship would be amazing, it would be the toughest challenge there is in chess. I mean, it is up to Magnus, but I would love to test myself against the best player in the world.”