Since making history as the youngest world chess champion in December, India's D Gukesh has experienced a series of highs and lows. The 18-year-old Grandmaster finished as runner-up at the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, after falling to compatriot R Praggnanandhaa in tie-breaks. However, his performance in Weissenhaus, Germany, at the opening event of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour was far from ideal, as he placed 8th out of 10 participants.
Following his recent results, Gukesh remains pragmatic about his performance. Speaking to Sportstar, he acknowledged the reality of competitive chess.
"You can’t win everything. I will look at them objectively and see where I can improve."
His words highlight his commitment to learning from setbacks and refining his game for future tournaments.
Carlsen on Gukesh
Talking about Gukesh, Carlsen said: “You have the current classical world champion from India, Gukesh. He doesn’t play casual games at all. He just studies his a** off all the time. He’s also not good at rapid chess, not good at blitz, he’s not good at other forms. But he has made all his studies about classical chess. He didn’t even own chess software on his computer before he was like 13. And he was already a grandmaster at that time.”
A Tough Outing at Freestyle Chess Grand Slam
Heading into the Weissenhaus event, Gukesh was considered a top contender given his world champion status. However, he struggled throughout the tournament, failing to secure a single victory. His campaign ended with a 0-2 defeat against Fabiano Caruana in the quarter-finals, followed by losses to Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja in the 5th-8th classification matches.
Additionally, the Chennai-born Grandmaster faced world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the round-robin stage. This marked his first encounter with the Norwegian superstar since winning the world title. Carlsen, who later finished third after falling to eventual champion Vincent Keymer in the semi-finals, proved to be a formidable opponent.
‘Freestyle Chess Is an Interesting Format’
Despite his struggles in Weissenhaus, Gukesh remains optimistic about future Freestyle Chess events.
"It’s an interesting format. I am looking forward to playing the next freestyle event in Paris from April 8 to 15."
The upcoming Paris leg of the Grand Slam Tour will also feature Indian chess stars Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi, adding an exciting dimension to the tournament.
Exciting Clash Ahead: Gukesh vs. Carlsen in Norway Chess
Gukesh is also eagerly anticipating his showdown with Magnus Carlsen at the Norway Chess event later this year. It will be their first classical-format battle since their intense quarter-final clash at the 2023 FIDE World Cup.
"It will be, no doubt, a great learning experience playing Magnus. I am looking forward to playing my best."
As Gukesh navigates the challenges that come with being the reigning world champion, his ability to adapt and improve will be key to his continued success on the global stage.
