Carlsen Says Gukesh Should Not Focus on Defending
Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen has shared his views on the upcoming World Chess Championship match between D Gukesh and Javokhir Sindarov. Speaking to reporters at the Global Chess League on Thursday, Carlsen argued that Gukesh should not approach the match as a title defence. He said the word ‘defend’ is not a good place to begin because Gukesh’s performances over the past two years mean he should not be in a position where he has to protect anything. Instead, Carlsen believes Gukesh should see the match as an opportunity where he has everything to gain.
Gukesh’s 2024 Form Shows His Potential
Carlsen pointed to Gukesh’s form in 2024 as proof of what he can achieve. He said Gukesh has shown that when things click, he has the potential to play at an extremely high level. Carlsen acknowledged that many people may not believe Gukesh can repeat that level of performance now, but he thinks that makes the challenge even more interesting for the Indian player. Getting back to that level is a difficult but worthwhile goal.
The Mental Battle Could Be Decisive
Carlsen also spoke about the psychological side of the match. He said chess is a highly psychological game, so it probably would not take much to place doubts in Sindarov’s mind while also building confidence for Gukesh. The mental aspect could prove just as important as what happens on the board.
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Carlsen Criticises Classical World Championship Format
When asked whether Gukesh’s current form would matter once the match begins, Carlsen was candid about his broader doubts regarding the classical World Championship format. He said one of the reasons he believes it is an extraordinarily bad way to determine the best player in the world is that it uses classical chess, which is the most egalitarian format, and it does not include a large number of games.
He explained that even if a match looks heavily one-sided before it starts, the scoreline is still very likely to be close because chess is such a drawish game. He gave the example that if a match is considered 80-20 before it starts, the likelihood is still high that it will end with a close score.
Gukesh’s Quality Matches Sindarov’s
On the matchup itself, Magnus Carlsen was clear that Gukesh holds his own against Sindarov in terms of pure quality. He said Gukesh has shown that his ceiling is on par with or better than Sindarov’s. However, given the short format of the match, Carlsen warned that early momentum could decide everything. He said that if Sindarov is ahead early on, it is probably very bad news for Gukesh. But if Gukesh is ahead early on, he automatically becomes a significant favourite. Carlsen summed it up by saying that is how these matches work.
Carlsen’s Current Activity
Magnus Carlsen is currently playing for the APL Pipers in the fourth season of the Global Chess League. His comments came on the sidelines of the event as he shared his perspective on the upcoming World Championship clash between Gukesh and Sindarov.