D Gukesh’s performance post-World Chess Championship rated by Viswanathan Anand: ‘No, big deal’

General Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand analysed D Gukesh’s poor run of form in 2025.

Since becoming the youngest-ever world champion in chess history, D Gukesh has been experiencing a tough time. 2025 was a topsy-turvy year for him, as he failed to find good form. But there were some positives too, like his victories against Magnus Carlsen. Gukesh also disappointed at the Chess World Cup, falling to an early exit.

He did almost win the Tata Chess Masters in Wijk aan Zee, but lost to R Praggnanandhaa in the tie-breaker title-deciding round. The Indian GM has also failed to meet expectations in Freestyle Chess, but that was never his main priority too. He will be hoping to find some form ahead of defending his title next year.

General Also Read: Complaint filed against India’s 3-year-old chess prodigy, status as youngest-ever FIDE-rated player questioned

Speaking to The Indian Express, Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand weighed in on Gukesh’s poor form in 2025. “No, big deal,” he said.

“He’s been experimenting in lots of formats. He’s willing to travel, he’s willing to go out there and try again and again. He’s not sitting on prestige (of being world champion). These are healthy qualities. His year in classical events, it’s fairly acceptable. I mean, losing a tiebreak (at Wijk aan Zee) doesn’t mean you’ve had a bad tournament. His performance in Norway Chess didn’t fit any mold, but in its own way, it was hopefully satisfactory.

“It’s true that subsequently, whether it’s Grand Swiss, or World Cup, or, especially the faster formats, he’s probably disappointed. My own feeling is, no big deal. As long as he keeps pounding away at it, he’ll eventually correct the formula,” he added.

Gukesh beat Ding Liren in Singapore last year, to become the new world champion. The result saw him become the youngest, undisputed world champion at the age of 18 years and 195 days. His team for the World C’ship included GMs Grzegorz Gajewski, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Jan Klimkowski, Pentala Harikrishna and Vincent Keymer. He also had Paddy Upton as his mental conditioning coach.

• 

  At HT Sports Desk, passionate reporters work round the clock to provide detailed updates from the world of sports. Expect nuanced match reports, previews,reviews, technical analysis based on statistics, the latest social media trends, expert opinions on cricket, football, tennis, badminton, hockey,motorsports, wrestling, boxing, shooting, athletics and much more. Read Less …Read More

Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.

See Less