As a world-renowned player on the circuits of classical chess, D Gukesh, the Indian No I, sets sights on reigning the chess world by 2025, with his participation in Norway Chess next year likened to one of the key moments in his life.
Gukesh, under the tutelage of his main trainer, Grzegorz Gajewski of Poland, is fully gearing up for a demanding, challenging contest that features heavyweights like Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Arjun Erigaisi, and Wei Yi. Even as this young chess professional is set for this all-important event, Gajewski talked about the young lad’s ambitions for the coming year and his preparation for the Norway Chess.
Gukesh-About Growth and Not Only Results
In a conversation touchingly reminiscent of one with Gajewski, his trainer, and talk with ChessBase India during the first leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, he reflected on the philosophies of coaching and the development of Gukesh’s chess journey. In recalling their entry at Norway Chess together, Gajewski revealed that Gukesh had pre-set a target of breaking into the world’s top ten by the end of the year. However, Gajewski told him to focus not on results, but on his growth and evolution as a player.
“It’s about becoming better. It’s about learning, not about results,” Gajewski recalled telling Gukesh. It’s clearly had a strong influence on the little one grandmaster, who so soon, broke into the ranks of the best ten people in the whole world in merely a couple of months.
As Gukesh looks forward to Norway Chess 2025, Gajewski keeps on emphasizing the learning aspect rather than tournaments and titles. “For this year, it’s similar,” said Gajewski. “Most important is for him to learn and improve.”
Rising to the Challenge: Gukesh on Winning in Tournaments
While Gajewski insists that growth remains a top priority, he also made sure the underlying goal is winning tournaments. As Gukesh prepares for Norway Chess, Gajewski made it clear that they are not just going to gain experience; they come to compete to win.
“We’re not going to Norway to learn,” Gajewski insisted. “I mean, learning is always happening, but we are going there to win.” Of course, this is not just a statement detailing the competitive nature of Gukesh but is equally a signal to other contenders, including reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen.
Gukesh will have a stern test for himself with the Norway Chess tournament set from May 26 to June 6. It has some of the biggest chess players, such as Carlsen, Nakamura, and Wei Yi, and they will come with huge challenges. These statements from Gajewski also assure that plans do not stop at playing but extend to leaving a mark in classical chess.
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Building Gukesh’s Game: Some New Dimensions
Besides being expected to win, Gajewski also stated that, in its own way, a key theme of Gukesh’s training for 2025 is adding new dimensions and things to his game. Gukesh is among the brightest talents in modern chess, and Gajewski sees the importance of helping him grow further.
“And we’ll be trying to add some new aspects to his game,” Gajewski noted. For a player with extensive potential like Gukesh, this could mean expanding the repertoire, improving their strategies, and honing new skills that could eventually move them further than the other top players in the world.
Gukesh will be playing in the second leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, scheduled to take place in Paris from April 8 to 15. His standing as the reigning World Chess Champion entitles him to automatic qualification for this event.
After a tough run at the Weissenhaus Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, where Gukesh finished eighth without a win, he is expected to bounce back stronger, using this match to sharpen his prowesses ahead of the crushing competition during Norway Chess. A chance to prepare further and pit himself against the world’s elite chess players before embarking on a decisive clash against Carlsen and others in Norway will come in the form of his participation in the Paris leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.
Gajewski’s Belief in Gukesh’s Bright Future
There is a certain belief inside Grzegorz Gajewski that Gukesh is a talent to watch out for, and he has larger goals in mind for 2025. Gukesh’s tremendous, inexplicable rise through the ranks of chess speaks volumes for his skill and perseverance, and leading him will be the astute mentorship from Gajewski, which spells/prophesies ascendance for this young Indian grandmaster in the world of chess.
As the building toward the 2025 Norway Chess turns and hopes turn toward Gukesh’s being one such powerful force to reckon with in classical chess, many will be short of breath over the suspenseful wait for the answer: whether he will send knees knocking under the likes of Magnus Carlsen and other elite competitors. But Gukesh’s focus and ambition for constant improvement will raise him to the next notch of expectation, come what may.
A Year for Gukesh where Big Plans are Made
D Gukesh’s Journey, Come-2025, would be an exciting event in which one of the major tournaments for winning would be Norway Chess, further enhancing his image as one of the top players in the world. Under the guidance of Grzegorz Gajewski, Gukesh is not only trying for victories but to improve every aspect of his game. Be it a show of superiority at Norway Chess or victories at many tournaments, Gukesh is all set to rock the chess world this year.
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