 "The best chess players are coming after world champion D Gukesh, but he’s not worried: 'None of my business'")
D Gukesh is not worried that the best of the best in chess, including the five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, are looking to beat him. The youngest world chess champion of all time, Gukesh, says he initially felt the pressure to “prove” himself, but with time, he has learnt to carry the world crown without succumbing to the pressure.
Gukesh became the chess world champion in December 2024, beating the then-crown-holder Ding Liren of China as he became the youngest to do so at the age of 18. Ever since, Gukesh has faced some harsh criticism from world No.1 Carlsen or former champion Vladimir Kramnik, who have questioned the quality of his play and the Classical format being used for the World Chess Championship.
And while it’s true that at only 19, Gukesh is far from being a finished product, he has constantly proved his detractors wrong. By winning his first-ever Classical match against Carlsen at Norway Chess 2025, or winning the Rapid section of the Grand Chess Tour 2025 in Zagreb .
On Wednesday, he pulled off something equally impressive as he inflicted the first defeat over world No.3 Fabiano Caruana at the Grand Chess Tour 2025 in Saint Louis from a losing position .
Gukesh: ‘Players are more motivated to play against me’
After his memorable win against all odds, Gukesh was asked if he was still feeling the pressure of carrying the world crown. The Chennai Grandmaster gave a brilliant reply, admitting that everyone wants to beat a world champion, but it’s “none of my business.”
“I kind of sense that people are more motivated to play against me (after he became world champion),” Gukesh said. “But it’s none of my business, I just play my game. Maybe the first couple of tournaments, I felt this pressure of having to prove something, but then it got better. It has already been eight to nine months, and I played a few tournaments. I think I just got settled into this new state.”
Just how motivated the top players are to beat Gukesh can be seen from the famous incident of Carlsen slamming the table after losing to Gukesh in Norway. While Carlsen was looking to prove that Gukesh was not worthy of being a champion, his defeat spoiled his plans, leading to a reaction that went viral worldwide.
Gukesh was also asked about the upcoming Blitz round at the Saint Louis tournament. The Indian chess player suffered five consecutive losses in the Blitz tournament in Zagreb, but he was looking forward to having another go.
“I mean, it will be a great challenge because Zagreb didn’t go well. It will be a challenge to prove myself and just try to do my best. You have to be well rested because of nine rounds of Blitz, but also some practice to get into Blitz rhythm. No rapid.”
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