3 min readOslo (norway)Updated: May 25, 2026 09:57 AM IST
A smile appears on Gukesh’s face when he is asked about the relentless criticism being hurled his way by multiple ex-world champions. These are men like Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov whose words carry immense gravitas in the sport.
“Most of the criticism I don’t see,” says Gukesh with a smile, as Carlsen, one of those who has been unsparing in his assessment of Gukesh’s form over the last 18 months, sits a few inches to his left at the pre-tournament press conference of Norway Chess.
But then, the 19-year-old offers some blunt self-assessment.
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“There is some criticism that I have heard and I think the criticism is fair,” says Gukesh. “I have not been performing well in the last 18 months and even I would say (the same thing.) My performance is way below expectations. They have the right to say what they feel and I have the right to do my job as best as I can.”
In six months from now, Gukesh will fight another world championship. But as compared to the one he fought in 2024, this 2026 one will be a different challenge. After all, last time around, the teenager was trying to dethrone Ding Liren. Now, he will be defending the crown that rests uneasily on his head.
“There are different mindsets going into both situations. As many people have said, defending a world championship title is more difficult than actually winning it the first time. For sure, there’s a lot of expectation and pressure of not wanting to lose the title. But, I think, at the end of the day, the basic thing is to play good chess,” he says.
Carlsen, speaking later at the press conference, disagrees. Defending a title, Carlsen emphasises, is easier because the world champion just has to play one match while the challenger has to earn his spot after jumping through multiple hoops like the Candidates, the Norwegian World No 1 points out.
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Kasparov had also suggested that should Sindarov defeat Gukesh in December this year, Carlsen would be tempted to play in the world championship cycle again.
Carlsen scotches such claims.
“It’s not really about me, is it?” Carlsen says. “It’s about these two guys. They’re so young and really exciting players to watch. It’s going to be a fantastic match whatever happens. But whatever happens it’s not going to affect me. So I’m just going to follow that world championship as a chess fan.”
(The writer is in Oslo at the invitation of Norway Chess)
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