In a remarkable statement, Polish grandmaster Grzegorz Gajewski compared India's D Gukesh to the legendary Magnus Carlsen following Gukesh's historic win against Ding Liren in the 2024 World Chess Championship. At just 18 years old, Gukesh became the youngest-ever chess world champion, defeating the defending champion Ding Liren in the crucial 14th game of the tournament. This victory made Gukesh the second Indian to ever claim the prestigious title, with Viswanathan Anand holding the record with five world championship titles.
Grzegorz Gajewski Hails Gukesh’s Potential, But Notes Key Differences from Carlsen
Speaking to The Hindu after Gukesh’s historic triumph, Grzegorz Gajewski, who is Gukesh's chief trainer, drew comparisons between the young Indian prodigy and the reigning chess icon, Magnus Carlsen. While Gajewski acknowledged Gukesh’s ability to mirror Carlsen’s playing style, he was clear to highlight that Gukesh would never be exactly like the Norwegian grandmaster.
“He will never be a player like Magnus Carlsen in the sense of being an intuitive kind of a player,” said Gajewski. The Polish grandmaster elaborated that Gukesh’s style is more focused on calculation, rather than relying on sheer intuition, which is a trademark of Carlsen’s play. “He likes to calculate and he likes to go deep into position. He doesn’t like to make moves just purely based on intuition. He will never play in the Magnus style, but he can very well mimic it,” Gajewski explained.
D Gukesh’s Calculative Style Compared to Anand and Caruana
When asked if Gukesh could be considered one of the best players in terms of calculation, Gajewski responded with high praise. He drew parallels between Gukesh and Viswanathan Anand, the five-time world champion. “Vishy [Anand], in terms of talent for calculation, perhaps no one in the history of the game could match him. But at the same time, he was so fast that sometimes it became his weakness,” Gajewski remarked. He then compared Gukesh’s style to that of young Fabiano Caruana, emphasizing Gukesh’s ability to deeply calculate moves and positions with precision.
D Gukesh’s Rise in the Chess World
Since joining forces with Gajewski, D Gukesh’s career has seen meteoric growth. Gajewski, who was a second to Anand during the 2014 World Chess Championship in Sochi, has been instrumental in Gukesh’s rise. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Gajewski began working at the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy in India, helping to develop a new generation of chess players. Since 2023, Gajewski has served as Gukesh’s second, assisting him in his successful qualification for the 2024 Candidates Tournament, which led to his showdown with Ding Liren.
Magnus Carlsen's Response to Gukesh’s Victory
While the chess world celebrated Gukesh’s triumph, there were mixed reactions from some of the sport's top players, including Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian grandmaster, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, downplayed Gukesh’s achievement. Carlsen also rejected the notion of challenging Gukesh for the title, and has previously criticized the classical chess format as being the “worst way to decide the best player.”
Despite this, Gukesh’s victory marks a new chapter in the world of chess, with the young Indian grandmaster quickly establishing himself as a key figure in the sport’s future.
