"His aim is to become number one....": Gukesh's grandfather after grandson's win over Magnus Carlsen at Norway chess

Time of India

5 days ago

Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh secured a remarkable victory against former world number one
in Round 6 of Norway Chess 2025, prompting reactions from his grandfather and former coach about the win and Carlsen's post-match outburst where he banged the table in frustration.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The 19-year-old Gukesh became the second Indian player to defeat Carlsen in the tournament's history, following Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa's footsteps, as he turned around a losing position to claim victory on Sunday. The win propelled Gukesh to third place in the tournament standings with 8.5 points, just one point behind leaders Carlsen and American Fabiano Caruana.
"We are very proud of him. He is improving day by day.
His aim is to become number 1. This is one of the proudest moments, beating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen," said Gukesh's grandfather, Shankar Rajesh.
Regarding Carlsen's emotional reaction after the match, Shankar added that it was natural, stating, "One of Gukesh's major achievements is that he has now beaten Magnus Carlsen as well. There is no pressure on him now. He will be relaxed and he will be practising..."
Arshdeep Singh: The Poet Who Bowls Thunder | Stories from His Father & Coach
Vishnu Prasanna, Gukesh's former coach and the 33rd grandmaster from India, shared his perspective, adding "I have been coaching for many years now...
About yesterday's game, things did not look good for Gukesh in the beginning, but under pressure, he turned out better than Magnus. There were too many twists and turns. It was a very exciting match, and I am happy he won..."
Poll
How do you feel about Magnus Carlsen's emotional reaction after the match?
It's understandable, he's passionate Unprofessional behavior A normal reaction in competitive sports
Speaking on Carlsen's post-match behavior, Prasanna noted, "That has happened a few times before. The game was tense and had ups and downs. Probably Carlsen was lamenting his mischances. It was just a lot of passion there..."
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The star-studded encounter followed their previous meeting in Round One of Norway Chess 2025, where Carlsen had emerged victorious against the reigning World Champion Gukesh in what was their first classical match since Gukesh's world title victory.