D Gukesh’s losing streak finally came to an end in the seventh round of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026, as the Indian GM managed to hold Parham Maghsoodloo to a draw. Gukesh hasn’t yet won a game in Prague, losing three and drawing four games. It has been a tough tournament for the reigning world champion, and his mood has been sour as well.
Usually very interactive with fans, Gukesh was occasionally seen not signing autographs. After his seventh-round game, Gukesh apologised to fans and blamed his performance in the tournament.
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‘I just want to be left alone’: D Gukesh
Speaking to grandmaster Keti Tsatsalashvili in an interview after his game, he said, “I really appreciate all the fans coming here everyday. But I want to apologize to them—this tournament has been tough for me and on some days, I just want to be left alone. I generally make sure to give autographs and photographs after the game, but I haven’t been in a great mood here. I apologize for that, but the support really means a lot to me.”
Commenting on his form, he accepted that he has ‘been playing badly’. “I mean, obviously, I’ve been playing badly here. The couple of chances I got, I didn’t use. So, what can I say? It’s been a bad tournament”, he said.
The 19-year-old also revealed that he has travelled to Prague with coach Grzegorz Gajewski, and he is still working with mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton.
“I have my team guy who is present in Prague. Other than the preparation and openings, he is someone with whom I can share things. We have been working together for three years. We have a pretty close bond,” he said.
“My parents are my huge support system. Obviously, working with Paddy (former Indian cricket team mental conditioning coach) also helps. He has always been there whenever I need. Especially in tough tournaments, talking with him gives clarity. Having such people who understand what goes on in a sportsperson’s head is really quite nice.”
Tsatsalashvili also claimed that fellow commentator and Croatian chess player Alojzije Jankovic has often described Gukesh as the best defensive player in chess.
“One of the best, I would say. It has always been one of my strengths. Being resilient, fighting in bad positions. It came from my childhood. I wasn’t working many openings, so I used to get into these (bad) positions. So basically, I had to defend to survive my whole career. It’s one of my strong suits, but here nothing really worked,” he responded.
