Indian chess star and reigning World Champion Gukesh D recently shared his thoughts on the intense challenge of playing back-to-back tournaments without much rest. The 19-year-old prodigy, currently competing in the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa, spoke candidly about his recent experiences, preparation, and mindset for staying at the top despite a packed schedule.
Regarding his World Cup entry, he said, “It’s been an interesting experience. Obviously, the results haven’t been great this year, but recently I’ve started to pick up my form. It’s been a great learning experience, and now we’re here for the World Cup, so the only focus is on this tournament.”
Gukesh D’s Redemption At The FIDE World Cup 2025
Gukesh made a strong start at the World Cup by defeating Kazakhstan’s Kazybek Nogerbek 1.5-0.5 to advance to the third round. After a draw in the first classical game, he bounced back to win the second game with confidence. Gukesh D admitted that while this year’s results have been a bit rough, he feels his form is improving steadily. He emphasised that every tournament is a learning opportunity, and now his full focus is on doing well at the World Cup on home soil.
He said, “Today felt quite nice – yesterday was also a good game, though I couldn’t convert it. But today I felt great over the board and played a clean game. It’s not very often you get such a dominant position, so in the end, I was just enjoying it.”
“If I don’t push myself at this age, when am I going to push myself?” Gukesh D Says
Before arriving in Goa, Gukesh D played in the 2025 Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown, a major event featuring giants like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. He described this event as valuable training, especially for the faster time controls used in tiebreaks, which are part of the World Cup format.
Despite jet lag after travelling between continents, Gukesh D said he kept pushing himself mentally. “That was also a big event because you don’t often get tournaments with such elite players. It was a great experience and also good training for faster time controls, since in the World Cup there might be some tiebreaks,” he said.
“The jet lag was a bit of a problem, but we had to plan around it. I kept telling myself – if I don’t push myself at this age, then when am I going to push myself?” he added
Playing back-to-back tournaments without rest might sound overwhelming, but for Gukesh D, it’s part of the grind on his road to greatness. With the support of fans and his own fierce self-belief, this rising star is ready to keep thrilling chess lovers, both in India and around the world, one intense match at a time.
Also read: Koneru Humpy Backs Gukesh D, Says “No One Cared About Any Chess Player”
