Published on: Sept 24, 2025 05:18 pm IST
The pressure has increased for D Gukesh, considering he is 19 years old and was 18 when he became World Champion.
Since becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion last year, D Gukesh has been receiving constant criticism. Even when the Indian GM beat Ding Liren at the World C’ships, the quality of the match was criticised by the likes of Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik.
The pressure has also increased for Gukesh, considering he is 19 years old and was 18 when he became World Champion. His weakness in Freestyle Chess has been a highlight this year, and then he had the worst phase of his career at the FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand, where he was also held to a draw by Divya Deshmukh.
D Gukesh ‘is having a bumpy time for sure’: Viswanathan Anand
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Anand weighed in on Gukesh’s recent form and remarked that the reigning World Champion is ‘having a bumpy time for sure.’
“He is having a bumpy time for sure. In the Swiss Grand, it was a bit extreme because he needs to win a lot of games. It could have been a combination of factors. I was still optimistic (after his performance in) Norway Chess, but after that, I think he is having a difficult time. But he has a whole year to get ready,” he said.
Anand also pointed out that the Indian GM is under massive pressure due to his World Champion tag in a ‘competitive’ chess environment.
“No, I don’t think you have tactical blips. You just play well. I think you can, but he’s also adjusting, struggling. The chess scene is very competitive now. I think he is also getting used to his role as world champion. This puts the spotlight and the pressure. It’s a different experience and I think he’s getting used to that. But I hope he will recover well,” he said.
“I appreciate that he has the confidence to keep accepting new challenges, not to hide. He’s going to play in the World Cup and I’m sure he will keep pushing till he gets back to his form,” he added.
