New Delhi: World chess champion D Gukesh has admitted that criticism surrounding his recent performances is fair, acknowledging that he has struggled to produce his best chess over the last 18 months.
Speaking ahead of the Norway Chess Tournament in Oslo, the 19-year-old Indian grandmaster said he understands why fans and experts have questioned his form.
“Most of it I don’t see, but there are some that I have heard and I think it’s fair,” Gukesh said.
“I have not been performing well in the last one-and-a-half year and I think my performances have been way below expectations.”
Since defeating Ding Liren to win the world title in 2024, Gukesh has found it difficult to maintain consistency at major tournaments. This year, he finished 10th at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, ninth at the Prague International Chess Festival, and sixth at the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland event on the Grand Chess Tour.
The dip in form has led to criticism from some of the biggest names in chess. Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi questioned the quality of Gukesh’s recent performances, while former world champion Anatoly Karpov claimed the Indian had won the world title “by accident.”
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has also previously criticised the standard of the 2024 World Championship match in Singapore.
Despite the scrutiny, Gukesh remains focused on improving. He begins his Norway Chess campaign against Vincent Keymer and has reduced his tournament schedule ahead of his world title defence later this year against Javokhir Sindarov.
“Defending a title is more difficult than winning it,” Gukesh admitted. “But at the end of the day, the basic thing is to go there and play good chess.”
