'Gukesh is probably bit stronger than myself…' - Magnus Carlsen explains why he overlooked Indian champion

Shashank is a sports journalist, analyst, and above all, a true sports enthusiast.

Published at :April 22, 2024 at 2:48 PM

Modified at :April 22, 2024 at 2:50 PM

'Gukesh is probably bit stronger than myself…' - Magnus Carlsen explains why he overlooked Indian champion

(Courtesy : Michal Walusza, Maria Emelianova (FIDE)/News9Live)

Gukesh Shrugged off Carlsen’s Pre-Tournament skepticism to claim Candidates glory.

Dommaraju Gukesh, better known as Gukesh D, recently etched his name in chess history by becoming only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to clinch the Candidates tournament and the youngest ever World Championship challenger.

The 17-year-old stunned top-ranked players like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, and Hikaru Nakamura to claim the title in Toronto, Canada, on Monday.

After Gukesh D was crowned champion, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen praised the 17-year-old Indian. The Norwegian also admitted to underestimating Gukesh’s caliber before the tournament began. Carlsen said on the Chess24 stream:

“Gukesh is probably a bit stronger than myself and others realized. The thing about Gukesh is that he can look vulnerable at times. Then he’s also not very good at speed chess. That can confuse (people’s assessment about him). And he’s not as high-profile as some of the other youngsters, which is confusing. But he’s proven in this tournament that he’s very strong.”

The Indian Open team at the 2024 FIDE Candidates included the names of Vidit Gujrathi, Praggnanandhaa, and Gukesh. Interestingly, all three candidates were playing in the tournament for the first time. However, before the tournament, the Norwegian chess grandmaster stated that he was not fond of advising any youngsters, saying no youngster could become World No. 1 at the moment:

“In terms of the young players, they’re on the right track. I don’t think any of them are ready… like to be No. 1 in the world anytime soon. But many players are never going to be like that. I don’t want to give these youngsters advice or anything.”

Magnus Carlsen also revealed that Gukesh had contacted him for advice ahead of the 2024 FIDE Candidates, as it was his first time in the prestigious tournament. Carlsen added:

Trending Indian Sports articles

“He asked what he should do at the Candidates. I said, ‘I don’t have any advice. I don’t know.’ I only told him that he should not go crazy and that he should wait for his chances because other people will go crazy. I don’t think that advice was even helpful at all. He’s played very well.”

Nevertheless, by winning the tournament, Gukesh D has displayed his chess prowess on a global level, leading World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen to laud the Indian star.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram

Shashank Tripathi

Shashank is a journalist at Khel Now covering Olympic sports. A Journalism and Mass Communication graduate, he’s a former national-level footballer and multi-sport athlete. A Liverpool fan since 2014, he idolizes Steven Gerrard and admires Rafael Nadal’s grit. Known for his accurate, well-researched reporting, Shashank also follows tennis, WWE, and taekwondo.