 "Grandmaster D Gukesh is currently ranked third in the FIDE Classical Ratings, behind Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. Image credit: Screengrab of video posted by Chennai Super Kings on YouTube")
Reigning world champion D Gukesh recently revealed the secret to his meteroric rise in chess and keeping himself in top shape mentally in order to stay abreast with the best players in the world. Speaking to The Times of India, the 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster revealed that while he has no fixed training schedule, he dedicates almost 10 hours to the game when he has no commitments.
“My training hours depend on the day. When I have no commitments, I dedicate almost 10 hours to chess,” Gukesh told the newspaper.
It was through his hard work that Gukesh blazed his way through the ranks to dislodge Viswanathan Anand as India’s top-ranked chess player in 2023, and also become the youngest winner in the history of the Candidates and the World Championship and star in the Chess Olympiad last year.
How preparation for World Championship has helped Gukesh in subsequent events
Gukesh also revealed that the extensive preparations he had undergone for the World Championship in Singapore, in which he defeated then-title holder Ding Liren 7.5-6.5, has helped him in subsequent tournaments as well.
He would go on to finish runner-up at the Tata Steel Chess in Netherlands in his first event since being crowned world champion, losing to compatriot R Praggnanandhaa in the tie-breaks after nearly winning the event outright.
“I am mostly playing my normal game. The kind of preparations I made for the World Championship have played a role in my subsequent tournaments, helping me a lot in the matches I’m playing now. Of course, I’m taking one match at a time and not stressing about other things,” Gukesh added.
The Chennai lad will next be seen in action in the Paris leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour that gets underway on Monday, where he will be one of four Indians in action alongside Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi.
Gukesh had finished a disappointing 8th out of 10 competitors in the opening event of the tour in Weissenhaus, Germany after failing to win a single game, but will be backing himself to bounce back in the unpredictable format that has the back pieces randomly arranged before each game.