Turning 20: D Gukesh Embraces The Pressure And Possibilities Of Being World Champion
With a title defence looming, the Indian Grandmaster sees those expectations not merely as pressure but as an opportunity to test his limits
At 20, D Gukesh is carrying a burden few in chess ever faced -- the weight of being a world champion. Yet with a title defence looming, the Indian Grandmaster sees those expectations not merely as pressure but as an opportunity to test his limits, build character and emerge stronger. As he bid farewell to his teenage years on Friday, Gukesh remained one of the main attractions at Norway Chess, where organisers marked the rest day with a sailing trip on the calm waters of the Oslofjord.
Bringing together all 12 players from the Open and Women's tournaments, the outing offered a rare chance to unwind, recharge and gather fresh energy before the demanding rounds ahead.
But even amid the scenic backdrop, Gukesh appeared deep in thought -- perhaps unsurprising given his difficult start to the tournament, where he currently sits at the bottom of the six-player standings. It was a reminder of the "struggles" he had spoken about before the event, as he continues to navigate the unique pressures that come with wearing the world champion's crown at such a young age.
"It's (expectation) something that obviously I've had to deal with and sometimes struggled with. But pressure is also a privilege, so it's a chance for me to grow through the challenge. Maybe, it will help me. The last one-and-a-half years, have been challenging… (they) have also helped me build character and become a better person in general," Gukesh had said days before turning 20.
He added that while he relishes the challenge of preparing to defend his world title later this year against Javokhir Sindarov, the expectations that come with being champion can at times feel overwhelming.
"And, I think, just the process itself preparing for a world championship, and preparing against this one specific opponent (Sindarov) for months… this whole process, for me, I just love the process.
"…(But) it's hard for me to deal with the expectations, which I hope to handle better in the next months as well," he said. For world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, a five-time Classical world champion and multiple-time Rapid and Blitz champion, the burden of expectations was one of the less enjoyable aspects of being world champion, admitting that towards the end he often felt he was winning titles to satisfy others' expectations rather than for his own fulfilment.
"Personally, for me, the hardest thing was that there were a lot of expectations for me to find the World Championship as important as others did. I never really felt that way," said Carlsen.
"I felt like I was doing it a lot for others rather than for myself. The motivation didn't come from within a lot of the times, so I think that was definitely hard. I mean, there were a lot of things that I didn't like about it… "…but generally having so much of my identity in other people's eyes, and to some extent, myself as well, being connected with that one thing that I didn't even particularly like. I understand it's a first-world problem, but it still wasn't great, and it's one of the reasons why I'm not part of that (Classical World Championship cycle) anymore," added the Norwegian great.
"Not about me anymore; it's about Gukesh and Sindarov"
Carlsen said he would follow the upcoming World Championship match between Gukesh and Sindarov purely as a fan, expressing hope that it would be a fantastic contest.
He added that, having stepped away from the championship cycle, he now views it from the outside with the interest of a spectator and nothing more.
"Yeah, I mean, it's not really about me. It's about them (Gukesh and Sindarvov), and I think it's going to be…I think it's going to be a fantastic match.
"Whatever happens, it's just going to happen. I'll just follow it as a chess fan, and it's going to be awesome to see, because they're, yeah, they're so young and pretty exciting players as well," said Carlsen.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)