Indian chess legend Pravin Thipsay has shared his views on the recent performances of India’s young chess stars, including world champion D Gukesh. While acknowledging their achievements in recent years, Pravin Thipsay believes that some of these players have not been able to maintain the same level of accuracy and sharpness that they showed earlier.
Indian chess enjoyed a historic year in 2024. The country achieved major success at the Chess Olympiad, where the Indian team won a gold medal. Around the same time, Gukesh made headlines by winning the FIDE Candidates Tournament at just 17 years old.
He later went on to win the World Chess Championship at the age of 18, becoming the youngest world champion in the history of the game.
These achievements raised expectations from the young grandmaster and his fellow Indian players.
D Gukesh Recent Form Dip
However, D Gukesh has faced some difficult moments in recent tournaments. Since becoming world champion, he has not won a major title. His recent performance at the Prague Chess Masters in 2026 also drew attention, as he managed to win only one game during the event.
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During the tournament, Gukesh even apologised to fans for not signing autographs, explaining that he needed some time to focus and recover.
It is not only Gukesh who has faced challenges. Other top Indian players such as R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi have also had mixed results in recent months. Despite strong expectations, they could not reach the semi-finals of the FIDE World Cup held in Goa in 2025.
Pravin Thipsay’s Remarks On D Gukesh’s Form
Speaking about the recent performances of the three players, Pravin Thipsay said their games have looked slightly different compared to their earlier form. According to him, opponents are now preparing more carefully to face the Indian grandmasters.
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“Praggnanandhaa was once one of the most dangerous attacking players, but he isn’t getting many attacking positions now. Gukesh was phenomenal defensively, as his accuracy in events like the Olympiad was extraordinary,” Pravin Thipsay said.
He added that rival players are now coming up with well-planned strategies to create complications on the board.
“Rivals are preparing specific strategies to complicate games. Meanwhile, Arjun and Gukesh have lost some accuracy, and Praggnanandhaa some initiative.”
Concerns about the larger system
Pravin Thipsay also spoke about the broader structure of chess development in India. According to him, the success of players like Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi is largely due to their individual dedication rather than a structured system.
“Indian chess has always been very individualistic. None of these champions has been created by a system,” he said.
He also pointed out the role played by families in supporting these young players.
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“Parents sacrifice careers, invest time and resources, and players build themselves through sheer dedication. Just because three players reach the top 10 today does not mean we will automatically produce three more in ten years.”
Despite the recent dip in form, the achievements of India’s young grandmasters remain significant.
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