Gukesh's coach says teen had heard comments that he was world champion only because Magnus Carlsen didn't play

Indian Express

2 days ago

Over the past five months since Gukesh became the youngest world champion in chess history after defeating Ding Liren in Singapore, the Indian teenager and his team have tried their best to block out the disparaging chatter questioning his legitimacy as a world champion. With Magnus Carlsen, the greatest player of this generation, abdicating the world champion's throne in 2023 without a pawn marching down the battlefield of 64 squares, Ding Liren took the crown after wrestling it away from Ian Nepomniachtchi. Ding later lost the crown to Gukesh at last year's world chess championship. But the 'what ifs' regarding Carlsen playing in the world championship have refused to die down.
After Gukesh defeated Carlsen for the first time in classical chess in round 6 of Norway Chess in the early hours of Monday at Stavanger, Gukesh's trainer Grzegorz Gajewski said the win would give him a lot of confidence. But perhaps, more importantly, Gajewski said that he hoped the win would earn the Indian teenager more 'credit'.
READ MORE: A bang of the fist, two apologies, a pat on the back and a history-making win – How Gukesh took down Carlsen
'I think this win over Magnus is going to give him a bump. First of all, he had never beaten Magnus. Secondly, as a world champion, he keeps facing these comments that, 'ok, you're the world champion only because Magnus didn't play, etc, etc. You know, you try not to hear those comments. But then you lose to him, and then you lose to him again, and that's not a bit pleasant. Now, he's beaten him. So, I hope this is going to give him some credit and a lot of confidence,' Gajewski told Indian media at Stavanger after the 19-year-old's win over the world no 1.
Carlsen was, in fact, asked by the Take Take Take app in an interview before the Norway Chess tournament began if 'Gukesh was a worthy world chess champion in his opinion'.
OH MY GOD 😳🤯😲 pic.twitter.com/QSbbrvQFkE
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) June 1, 2025
Carlsen's measured response had been to say: 'He won the Candidates ahead of a field of world-beaters and he's done incredibly well in classical chess over the last couple of years including giving one of the all-time best performances at the Olympiad. Is he the best player in the world? Remains to be seen! But is he a worthy world champion? By what they measure that by I think he certainly is!'
Players like former world champion Garry Kasparov have also made comparisons between Gukesh and Carlsen recently. The Russian had said that World no 1 Magnus Carlsen is 'widely considered, by all metrics, as a better player' than the reigning world champion from India.
READ MORE: Meet Bjarte Leer-Helgesen, man who saw Magnus Carlsen take first steps on chess board, then become prison chaplain who played chess with jail inmates
Gajewski revealed that after Gukesh had lost the opening game of Norway Chess to Carlsen, there was plenty of self reflection from Gukesh. It was during this that they came to the conclusion that their time management needed to improve. Against Carlsen on Sunday, Gukesh stuck neck-and-neck even on the clock before a mad time scramble ensued at the end which Gukesh won after an uncharacteristic blunder from Carlsen.
'After the first game, as I recall, we generally discussed the mistakes that were made. He was quite critical of his own game, but at the same time, the game was a high level game. We saw that the main problem was time management, and because of the time trouble, he managed to lose the position that he should not have lost. Things happen in time troubles. So we decided that we have to correct this time management, and already in the game with Hikaru, we could witness this improvement and progress. Even today, it was a little bit better. Even though the position was a little bit bad, he took some time but okay, in the difficult situation, you just have to think because if you make one more mistake, it would be immediately over.' Gukesh said.
Asked what will change because of this, Gajewski said: 'It just gives a huge bump of confidence. Because once you've done it, you know you can do it again. And that's the plan.'