Vishy Anand, the chess legend, has expressed strong support for Gukesh D ahead of the highly anticipated Norway Chess 2025 tournament, where Gukesh is set to face the World Number 1 Magnus Carlsen in a class that promises to be one of the most exciting matches in the recent history of chess. The tournament begins on 26 May and will end on 6 June.
Gukesh D has been a subject of criticism ever since he became the World Champion in 2024. Many chess icons, like Magnus Carlsen himself, have expressed their disappointment due to the match’s result. He was also criticized for not excelling in the Freestyle format and consistently performing underwhelming in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025. The Paris leg of the event is ongoing, where he had a disappointing run and finished in the last positions. This sparked debate and speculations of whether or not he’s good enough, which raised doubts about his upcoming encounter with Magnus Carlsen at the Norway Chess Tournament 2025.
Speaking at an event, Vishy Anand shared his thoughts backing Gukesh D and said, “I expect a very exciting battle. Gukesh will not lack the motivation or determination to go after Magnus Carlsen. But Magnus is also highly motivated by the challenge of playing against our young players. I’ve seen him in multiple tournaments; whether it’s Kolkata or the World Rapid Blitz, he eagerly looks forward to these matchups, and so we have the perfect storm. I think we have the right to expect some great battles”
Vishy Anand On Indian Representation at The Norway Chess 2025
The Norway Chess Tournament features a star-studded lineup in the men’s category, including players like Gukesh D, Magnus Carslen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana and many more. Not just that, the women’s category also features some of the best talents like Koneru Humpy, Ju Wenjun, Anna Muzychuk, and Vaishali Rameshbabu.
Regarding the tournament, he shared, “It is one of the premier events in the sport of chess, and since Norway Chess began in 2013, it has kept on evolving very well. They continue to make the tournament very attractive, a demonstration of what chess is all about. They always have some extra tweaks to make it very interesting, whether it’s the confessional booth or now the Armageddon. It’s a very innovative tournament, and the levels of competition are simply outstanding.”
The tournament features a strong Indian representation, regarding which Vishy Anand further added, “And for Indian chess, the fact that we have four players says a lot. On the men’s side, Indian chess is as strong as it’s ever been. Even more so obviously due to the depth we have. But it’s great that Koneru Humpy is still competing so successfully and that she’ll be joined by Vaishali as well, which bodes well for us.”
Vishy Anand On Gukesh D.
Lastly, he backed Gukesh D and mentioned, “Norway Chess is absolutely honoured to be hosting the Gukesh and Magnus clash, especially on the back of Gukesh’s incredible run of form. Both the champions will have a couple of chances to go after each other, which bodes very well for Norway Chess.”
“And hopefully, next year, Norway Chess can host this exact fixture in India as well, where there are so many champions. The quality of chess in India over the last ten years has been, and for sure, the sport would be poorer without the Indian champions,” Vishy Anand concluded.
Also Read: Indians Failed To Shine At The Freestyle Chess Tour Paris Leg
