Magnus Carlsen's Candid Take on D Gukesh's Chess Future

Carlsen's Insights on Gukesh's Potential

D Gukesh, the 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster, has made significant strides in the chess world. However, Magnus Carlsen, a chess legend, believes that Gukesh is not yet poised for long-term supremacy. Following his defeat to Gukesh in Round 6 of the Norway Chess tournament, Carlsen emphasized that the new generation of players still has areas to improve.

In a conversation with Indian chess player Tania Sachdev, Carlsen was asked about potential successors to his reign. He acknowledged Gukesh's talent but noted that he is not sufficiently ahead of his peers to establish a dominant position at this time.

Carlsen candidly stated, "Currently, there is no one who stands out. Gukesh has demonstrated promise in this tournament, but he is not as far ahead as we might have expected."

He further elaborated, suggesting that Gukesh's development is reminiscent of Carlsen's own journey in 2008-2009. "He has the potential to excel, but success requires not just positional skill but also a fighting spirit," Carlsen remarked.

Carlsen also pointed out that young players are not expected to master every aspect of the game at their age. He expressed skepticism about the likelihood of any of the current young players emerging as a clear number one, stating that the more experienced players currently hold an advantage.

He concluded by reiterating that every young talent has distinct weaknesses, which is typical for their age. "Once-in-a-generation talents exist for a reason; achieving greatness is no simple feat," Carlsen added.

In the context of the tournament, while Gukesh managed to defeat Carlsen, he ultimately fell short of winning the overall event, losing to American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana in the final round. Carlsen finished the tournament with 16 points after drawing with fellow Indian player Arjun Erigaisi.