World’s youngest chess champion D Gukesh is embracing the “new level” of competition where he is confident of handling the challenges and “meeting the expectations”. Set to compete in the elite Norway Chess tournament, the Chennai youngster said the only thing he needed to gain more success was to keep random thoughts at bay and just concentrate on the game.
“It is a new level for me. But when I see it as a challenge to prove to myself that I can handle this, even though the expectations are high, I can meet them if I keep working hard and doing my best,” said the Indian Grandmaster. He said playing five hours of classical chess can make one’s mind wander, but the key to winning those tiring games is to not lose focus. “You can’t afford to allow weak moments,” he said.
Termed as “the Wimbledon of Chess” by the legendary Garry Kasparov, this 12-day tournament, which will conclude on June 6, will see Gukesh compete against Carlsen for the first time since being crowned world champion. “I am sure playing Magnus here in a classical game will be a fun challenge. Also, for the spectators, it is about the world champion versus the No. 1 player in the world,” said Gukesh.
He hoped the games against Carlsen would live up to expectations, given the hype built around them. “It surely sounds very exciting, so it’s surely something I am very happy to give, to myself and the chess fans. And I hope it will be a treat,” he said.
The last time Gukesh competed in Norway Chess was in 2023 where he finished third. He had secured the crucial FIDE Circuit points needed to qualify for the 2024 Candidates Tournament. That achievement made him the third-youngest player in history to qualify for a Candidates tournament, following in the footsteps of Bobby Fischer and Carlsen.
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