Gukesh: The Young Phenomenon with Ambitions to Become World Chess Champion

If anyone in India knows what it takes to be a world chess champion, it is Viswanathan Anand. In a few weeks, this legendary chess player might get a new companion in the highest echelon of chess—eighteen-year-old Dommaraju Gukesh will challenge China's reigning world champion Ding Liren in the final match, starting on November 25th. Anand is pleasantly surprised by Gukesh's rapid ascent to the top.

"I didn't assign a high probability of him getting there so soon," Anand told ESPN. "He's the youngest challenger in the history of the World Championship. And if that doesn't surprise me, then nothing will." However, this surprise is not accompanied by any doubts. Reaching the final wasn't easy—winning the Candidates Tournament in April against the world's best players required incredible composure, and that's the quality Anand values most in Gukesh.

At the highest level, the chess skills of players are so similar that the small advantages they can create make the difference. Anand asserts that the winner of such a match is often determined by non-chess skills—the ability to handle pressure, stay calm, use one's strengths, and manage nervous tension. And that's exactly how Gukesh got this far.

Key qualities of Gukesh according to Anand:

• Ability to handle pressure

• Calmness in critical moments

• Taking advantage of opportunities

• Non-chess skills as a deciding factor in victory

"There's also an element of luck [in Gukesh reaching the championship match], but it's not luck in the sense that someone just got lucky. I'd say that when an unexpected opportunity arose, he had the composure and, more importantly, the chess strength to seize it," says Anand.

Gukesh managed to draw against all three players who finished just below him in the Candidates Tournament—Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Ian Nepomniachtchi—and that, according to Anand, shows his maturity. "He had the strength, presence of mind, and composure to grab his chance when it came, which is all you can do in the Candidates Tournament," Anand adds. "And now he has the opportunity at the World Championship, the biggest stage."

Anand refrains from predicting the outcome of the match between Ding and Gukesh, but he does note that Gukesh's recent form is encouraging, while also reminding the young challenger of an eternal truth. "It's good that Gukesh can approach the match with confidence. But he's smart enough to know that titles are won, not chosen."

With the big match approaching, Gukesh was in action last week at the European Club Cup—something that would be considered unusual for many World Championship contenders. However, Anand isn't too concerned. "The World Championship has evolved a lot over the years. Especially nowadays, training methods and the way you interact with coaches have been heavily influenced by computers," he says. "Playing a few games a month before the match doesn't seem inappropriate to me at all. In the modern context, I think it's a perfectly reasonable approach, because ultimately you don't want to spend too much time without playing."

Gukesh's Mixed Form Before the World Championship

With a month to go before the biggest match of his life, Dommaraju Gukesh joined other top players at the European Club Cup. His performance could be described as mixed.

Previously unbeaten in 38 classical games at both the Chess Olympiad and the Sinquefield Cup, Gukesh lost for the first time to Grandmaster Dmitry Andreikin, when he made several wrong decisions in a rook endgame, leading to his defeat. He then drew with Jergus Pechac with the white pieces.

Gukesh's results at the European Club Cup:

• Win against Margeir Petursson

• Win against David Gorodetzky

• Loss to Dmitry Andreikin

• Draw with Rauf Mamedov

• Draw with Jergus Pechac

Gukesh's form needs to be assessed in the context that most title contenders do not play competitive games just a month before a major match.

Gukesh himself emphasizes that he is seeking a balance between preparation and participation in tournaments. "You can't play too many tournaments before the match. It has been done before, but it also doesn't make sense to completely stop playing tournaments. As long as there's balance, I feel good about what I'm doing," he said in an interview with Chess.com.

Gukesh also mentioned that his young age brings advantages, such as higher energy levels, and he is trying to enjoy the entire process—from preparing for the Candidates Tournament to the upcoming World Championship.

"The process is pretty much typical for the World Championship. I have a team, and we're working hard. I'm trying to be at my best for the World Championship and enjoy every moment of this journey," he said.

Ding Liren and His Recent Performance

Ding Liren has not played since the Olympiad in Budapest last month, where he struggled similarly to how he has throughout most of the year since his triumph over Ian Nepomniachtchi last year.

However, Gukesh dismisses any suggestion that he should enter the match as the favorite, while also noting that the differences between players at the top level are minimal. "It will certainly be an interesting match. We're both strong players," he said. "I expect many exciting games. I'm looking forward to it both as a player and as a chess fan. I hope it will be a beautiful experience for all chess lovers."

Key aspects of Ding Liren's game according to Gukesh:

• Universal playing style

• Minimal differences between top players

• Efforts to analyze and use these differences to his advantage

"Ding is a very universal player. Almost all top-level players are universal nowadays. The differences between them are minimal, and I'm trying to analyze and use these differences to my advantage," Gukesh adds.

Gukesh's Team

Gukesh has always been discreet about the members of his World Championship team, but he has confirmed that GM Grzegorz Gajewski, who assisted him during the Candidates Tournament, will once again be by his side. Interestingly, Gajewski was also in Anand's team during his match against Magnus Carlsen at the World Championship in Sochi in 2014.

Roles of Gukesh's Team:

• Analyzing and preparing plans for the Championship

• Finding competitive advantages

• Calming Gukesh under pressure

One of Gajewski's tasks will also be to calm Gukesh under the pressure of such a major match, just as he did during the Candidates Tournament. "These young players are super ambitious. They want to crush everyone and show the world how strong they are. But a tournament like this requires patience. You have to stay calm," Gajewski told the Hindustan Times back then.

Gukesh has faced some tough games after his high at the Olympiad, but nothing that he hasn't already dealt with in the Candidates Tournament. He is still on track with his preparation for the biggest month of his life, which is just around the corner.