D Gukesh has a World Championship coming this year to defend, but he doesn’t look in good form.
The 20-year-old, who made history in December 2024 by becoming the youngest world champion ever, beat Ding Liren in Singapore.
Recently, he has been in a tough spot as he finished tenth at Tata Steel, ninth at the Prague Chess Festival, and recently ended sixth at Norway Chess 2026.
His classical way of playing has drawn so many concerns, with people actually questioning his way.
The World Championship defence against Uzbekistan’s Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov will take place somewhere between November and December 2026. The pressure is rising for Gukesh, and amid this, the person with a world title for over two decades, Viswanathan Anand, has some advice for the world champion.
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Viswanathan Anand Advises Gukesh
In conversation with PTI, Viswanathan Anand didn’t beat around the bush and directly acknowledged the rough form of D Gukesh, and advised him
He said, “At this moment, Praggnanandhaa is playing better than Gukesh, but anything can change. I think there will be form swings repeatedly. Gukesh seems to be stuck a bit. I think he can take inspiration from Pragg. He can see that if you persist with hard work, then at some point things will change.”
So, there was no sugar-coating in Viswanathan’s advice; he directly told that Gukesh is just stuck, but he won’t be stuck for a long period of time.
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Viswanathan Anand Hails R Praggnanandhaa
Praggnanandhaa won Norway Chess 2026, finishing the tournament on a remarkable run after a slow start.
Anand highlighted exactly that quality as something Gukesh should look up to.
He said, “Actually, it’s the same Pragg in the last one and a half years. Sometimes he plays hard and comes out with interesting concepts, and he is always ready for a fight. The results might not always work out. In fact, after the first six rounds, you can’t see much difference from the last 8 or 9 months (as in how Praggnanandhaa plays). But then there was this great turnaround, and that was really nice to see because he played very interesting chess.”
While Gukesh works through his form slump, the man waiting to face him in November is not going to make things easier for Gukesh.
Javokhir Sindarov, the 20-year-old Uzbek grandmaster, is in good form, as he earned his World Championship shot by winning the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, and he did it convincingly, winning five of the first six rounds and clinching the title with a round to spare, setting a points record in the process.
For the first time in the history of chess, both players in a World Championship match will be under 21 years old.
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The World Chess Championship 2026 between Gukesh and Sindarov is provisionally scheduled for November 23 to December 17, 2026. The host city is yet to be confirmed.
Also Read: D Gukesh’s Mentor Breaks Silence On Champion’s Form Ahead of World Championship
