Gukesh D. is a huge name in the world of chess ever since he won the World Chess Championship in 2024 to become the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion at the age of 18 years and 195 days. He defeated Ding Liren in a thrilling 14-game match with a close score of 7½-6½, and marked a significant milestone in chess history. However, as they say, fame comes with a price, life hasn’t been easy for him after the win.
Gukesh was met with mixed reactions from some of the world’s top chess players, like Magnus Carlsen, who critiqued his win. Magnus Carlsen said something that took the whole world by surprise. He called Gukesh’s performance “terrible.” During the championship match that was held from November to December 2024, Gukesh secured three wins while drawing nine matches. His game-changing moment came as he capitalized on Ding’s error to clinch the title.
Apparently, Magnus Carlsen was not happy about it as he shared, “A very good performance from Ding Liren, his best in a long time. But at the same time it was also a terrible performance from Gukesh. It is hard to understate how bad this was from Gukesh. He did not make a single good decision in the whole game. Everything was wrong. He made an aggressive opening choice,”
Another chess legend, Vladimir Kramnik, went as far as calling the match “the end of chess as we know it,” showcasing his dissatisfaction with the standard of play. Ever since then, he has been facing criticism, and he finally clapped back recently in a conversation with The Times of India and said, ” In my personal view, when you reach the World Championship game, you are bound to face criticism, and people are free to say whatever they want. I will continue to do my job.”
“Also, I’m not on social media, so a lot of negative things don’t reach me easily. But I do come across some negative comments, and they only motivate me,” he added
Gukesh is known for his calm and composed personality, and he aims to win the next leg of the Freestyle Chess Tour 2025, which is set to begin next week.
Also Read: Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour Paris Leg: Schedule, Prize Money, And Players
