'You simply can’t jump to the next peak': Gukesh gets a reality check from Olympic gold medal winner after dismal season

Indian chess sensation Gukesh Dommaraju form has dripped significantly since he became the youngest world champion in history at just 18 last December. At the ongoing 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa, Gukesh was knocked out in the third round by Germany’s Frederik Svane. He is also yet to win a tournament since becoming the 2024 World Chess Champion.

Gukesh took a strong second place at the 2025 Tata Steel Chess Masters, but then finished 8th in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Weissenhaus. He bounced back at Norway Chess, taking third prize and even defeating the current World No. 1, Magnus Carlsen, in a classical game. He won the Rapid title at the Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb but had a disappointing 41st-place finish at the FIDE Grand Swiss.

Bindra’s advice for Gukesh

So, we can all agree that Gukesh’s performances have not been that great this year after winning that historic title. India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra shared a piece of advice for the youngster on the sidelines of Chess World Cup final in Goa. Bindra, who won an Olympic gold in shooting at Beijing 2008, was the youngest Indian participant in the 2000 Olympics at just 17, so he knows well.

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Speaking about Gukesh’s current form, Bindra said, “I have to start with a disclaimer, I haven’t spoken to him. If I say something, it might be completely irrelevant to him. I don’t know what’s going on in his mind. But I think it is very normal for athletes to—after having massive success—to have a period of motivation loss or just a quiet period. It is just normal. It is just the same in every athlete’s case. I think the most important thing is to just go back to your basics, to go back to your foundation, to go back to the drawing board.”

Bindra, who was in Goa to make the ceremonial first move at the Chess World Cup final between China’s Wei Yi and Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, also shared his thoughts on the mental challenges after achieving a major goal in one’s career. Gukesh has already won a major title at a very young age, just like Bindra did when he was 25.

“You’ve reached the mountain and climbed this peak. And human nature really is that we want to jump to the next peak. But you simply can’t jump to the next peak. You have to climb that peak down and then step by step plug the gaps that have come, cropped in and then work on the foundation and go back again. The only advice that I would really like to give is all of this requires an immense amount of energy. And sometimes, after having achieved such high success, you are a little bit drained. An individual is human to be drained, not just physically, mentally, emotionally," Bindra said.

“It sometimes just takes a little while to really get your batteries completely recharged and full so that you can start thinking really clearly of what your next goal is or what you want to do next is. And that really helps you get through it. Because again, the reality in sport, for an athlete, the unfortunate reality in sport is that yesterday never counts. You are only as good as what you are on that particular day. You win and then the very next day the world is asking for more proof: If you are good enough, good enough to what you were yesterday, good enough to what will you be up to the next challenger,” he added.

Gukesh will next be seen in action at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Doha, which is scheduled to take place from December 25 to 30. Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen will also compete, along with other stars like Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Vincent Keymer, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.