 "D Gukesh has decided to take a break by withdrawing from a few classical events. Image: Grand Chess Tour")
Reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh has decided to take a break from a packed calendar after a difficult start to the 2026 season. The young Indian star, who created history by defeating Ding Liren in December 2024 to become the youngest undisputed world champion, has struggled to find form for the past few months.
D Gukesh began the 2026 season at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in January but finished 10th with 6.5 points from 13 games. His form dipped further at the Prague Chess Festival in March, where he ended joint-last with 3.5/9. The results also affected his live rating, which briefly slipped below the 2680 mark and saw him fall to around World No. 20 in the rankings.
The Indian Grandmaster took to social media on Tuesday to announce that he will reduce his workload for the next few months and focus on training. He said that he will skip classical events at the Grand Chess Tour and participate only in a few selected Rapid and Blitz events. Gukesh said that he and his team made the decision so that he could regain confidence and return to his best level.
What Gukesh’s 2026 schedule looks like now
Gukesh still has a few important tournaments lined up in 2026. Among these, Norway Chess will be his next major classical event and an important test for the world champion. He will be up against the likes of World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen there, which could be a good practice.
Menorca Masters – April 7 to April 12 (Rapid event with 30+10 time control)
Grand Chess Tour Poland (Rapid & Blitz) – May 5 to May 9 in Warsaw
Norway Chess 2026 – May 25 to June 5 in Oslo
Grand Chess Tour Croatia (Rapid & Blitz) – July 1 to July 5 in Zagreb
He will, of course, feature in the 2026 World Chess Championship final later this year against the winner of the ongoing 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament, but the date and venue of the event have not been finalised yet.