Gukesh D On World Rapid & Blitz, "Don't Have Expectations.."

Gukesh D is heading into the World Rapid & Blitz Championship in Doha with a calm, grounded mindset and almost no expectations from himself. Instead of chasing results, he wants to experiment, enjoy his games, and treat the event as a chance to play fast, fearless chess against the very best.

Contents

Gukesh D’s Mindset For Doha

Gukesh admitted that rapid and blitz are still secondary to classical chess for him, even though he has been taking the faster formats more seriously this year. He called classical his “bread and butter,” making it clear that long-time control events remain his main priority.

Coming off an underwhelming season that also included an early exit from the World Cup in Goa, Gukesh D is not putting pressure on himself in Doha. He said he does not have “a lot of expectations” from this tournament and is “here just to play, experiment, enjoy and have fun with chess.”

Focus On Playing Fast

Gukesh D’s plan for the event is simple: play fast, stay sharp, and make the most of every opportunity that appears on the board. He feels the Global Chess League in Mumbai gave him useful rapid practice against strong opponents, and now he wants to build on that experience in Doha.

He also spoke about his approach in difficult positions, saying that in tough situations, the first motivation is simply “not to lose.” For him, good defence is about surviving one move at a time, staying patient, and waiting for the opponent to go wrong and offer chances.

A Stacked Field Around Him

Doha will not be an easy playground. Along with Gukesh, India has sent a powerful contingent featuring R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, P Harikrishna, Vidit Gujrathi and several other rising talents in both the Open and Women’s sections. But in the Open field, Magnus Carlsen and Alireza Firouzja are expected to be the main favourites for the title.

Gukesh D has already shown he can compete with the best, having beaten Carlsen at Norway Chess earlier this year before his form dipped later in the season. Doha now offers him a chance to reset, without the burden of expectations, and just focus on good, clean chess.

Just There To Play

For now, Gukesh D is keeping things simple: no big declarations, no bold predictions, just a quiet promise to play his best in every single game. With a star-studded field around him and nothing much to “defend” in terms of expectations, this could be the perfect stage for him to rediscover his rhythm in rapid and blitz.