D Gukesh has been under increasing pressure following another disappointing performance at the Paris Grand Slam event. The 18-year-old chess prodigy failed to qualify for the knockout stages, continuing his struggle after a poor performance at the Weissenhaus event, where he ended in eighth place but at least made it to the knockout rounds.
The World Champion Under Scrutiny
Despite being the reigning World Chess Champion after defeating Ding Liren in Singapore last year, Gukesh has faced criticism for the way he won the title. His victory was questioned by chess greats like Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik, who claimed that Gukesh lacked quality in his play. These criticisms, however, did not stop Gukesh from proving his critics wrong.
Gukesh Silences Critics at Tata Masters
D Gukesh made a strong comeback at the Tata Masters in Wijk aan Zee, finishing in second place. His classical chess performance has been impressive, but his introduction to Chess960 has been less successful. At Weissenhaus, Gukesh failed to win any matches, and his poor run continued in Paris, further putting his skills to the test.
Jon Ludvig Hammer Questions Gukesh’s World Champion Status
After the Paris Grand Slam, former Carlsen second, Norwegian GM Jon Ludvig Hammer, questioned Gukesh’s ability to hold on to the World Chess Champion title. This further fueled the pressure on the young champion, who now faces increasing skepticism from the chess community.
Support for Gukesh from GM Srinath Narayanan
In response to the criticism, Indian Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan defended Gukesh. Speaking to Indian Express, Srinath firmly stated, “Gukesh is universally accepted as the world champion and there is no questioning that.” He emphasized that Gukesh doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone, and pointed out that one or two tournaments are too early to draw any major conclusions about his future performance.
Gukesh’s Future as World Champion
Srinath also shared his thoughts on Gukesh’s future in the chess world. “Gukesh certainly has the ability to keep the crown. But it will not be easy, and his next challenger could very well be one of his Indian compatriots or someone from his age group,” Srinath said. He also mentioned that Gukesh and his trainers will have the best understanding of what steps he needs to take to improve and defend his title.
Positive Impact of Rivalry in Chess
Srinath expressed that the growing rivalry around Gukesh will not harm the sport. He compared it to tennis, where the rivalry between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic has been great for the game. “A competitive rivalry will only add excitement and interest in the sport,” he added.
Upcoming Norway Chess Tournament
Looking ahead, Gukesh will face Magnus Carlsen in the upcoming Norway Chess tournament, which will be played in the classical format. The tournament is scheduled to begin in May, and it will be another opportunity for Gukesh to showcase his skills against top-tier players.
