World champion D Gukesh says that classical chess will remain his main focus, and he doesn’t have “a lot of expectations” from the season-ending star-studded FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, beginning on Friday.
Gukesh is entering the end-of-season million-euro prize-money tournament after an underwhelming season, which included an early exit from the FIDE World Cup in Goa. The champion stated that he is here to experiment, have some fun, and enjoy the tournament.
“I think, for me, playing well in any format is quite important, and I have been taking rapid and blitz a bit more seriously this year. That being said, I think rapid and blitz events have been slightly less of a priority than classical events for me,” said Gukesh, 19, during
the pre-tournament media interaction, where five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen was also present.
“So, this is an event for which I don’t have a lot of expectations. I’m here just to play, experiment, enjoy, and play chess with the aim of having fun,” added Gukesh, who is part of a sizeable Indian contingent here.
Besides Gukesh, India’s R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, P Harikrishna, Vidit Gujrathi, and a whole brigade of young players, both in the Open and Women’s sections, are in attendance. However, Carlsen and Iranian-French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja are expected to dominate the field in the Open category.
Gukesh said his aim here would be to play fast and make the most of the opportunities that come his way.
“I had some good practice from the Global Chess League (in Mumbai recently); played a few rapid games against some very strong opponents. So, I’m happy to be here to play more rapid games. My strategy would be to just play fast, focus on each game, and make the most of it,” said the teenage Indian, who had defeated Carlsen in Norway Chess earlier this year but subsequently saw his form dip.
Gukesh also indicated that survivability and tiring out his opponent is his mantra in tough situations, something chess experts have pointed out as one of his weaker points.
“In tough situations, the biggest motivation is not to lose. You try to just hang on, and most defenders have this quality—they focus on one move at a time, survive for that move, and keep doing that for a long period, hoping the opponent makes mistakes and gives you some chances,” the young champion added.
Magnus, however, had a different take on the debate, saying it’s always better to enter a match “optimistic and delusional” rather than “realistic or pessimistic.”
“The best state of mind during a chess game, and also in between games, is to be somewhere between optimistic and delusional. On the other hand, if you are a bit realistic or pessimistic, you won’t impose enough pressure and take enough chances,” said Carlsen, the defending Blitz world champion.
“It’s not always easy, it’s very complicated. Look at the ups and downs during games and tournaments, but trying to stay positive and see the glass half full rather than half empty is crucial to turning things around. Personally, I have doubts like everybody else, but having a positive attitude helps a lot, and I think Gukesh certainly has that as well,” he said, even though the Indian world champion’s name wasn’t part of the original question.
(With Inputs From Agencies)
