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Gukesh came under fire from former World Champion Magnus Carlsen who had stated that the young Indian ‘didn’t make a single good decision’ throughout Game 1.
D Gukesh came under fire from former champion Magnus Carlsen after Game 1 (X)
Defending champion Ding Liren opened the summit clash with a win on Day 1 of the event as he stunned the challenger by playing with black pieces to get off the mark on his first try in the finals series.
Ding’s win in Game 1 was a sweet surprise for the chess world, given the defending champion’s struggles with form and mental health over the past year.
But, it also opened the floodgates for criticism, as Gukesh came under fire from former World Champion Magnus Carlsen who had stated that the young Indian ‘didn’t make a single good decision’ throughout the game.
But, the young Indian Challenger had his own say in the matter.
“After a point, I agree all my moves were pretty bad. But, I think it was understandable, given it was my first game in the Championships. Even Magnus himself wasn’t at his best his first time around. But, I understand the criticism,” Gukesh said, taking the criticism in stride.
“I had a bad Game 1, but I knew that once I got settled in, I’ll regain my mojo.”
Gukesh surely reclaimed his mojo, with a sensational outing against Liren to tie up the Championship at 1.5 points each.
Liren fell nearly an hour behind on the clock after the opening sequence of the game as Gukesh, playing with white pieces on the day, took the game to the Chinese champion.
Liren was put under a lot of pressure by the Indian teenager but managed to stabilise towards midgame. However, his mismanagement of time caught up ultimately as the Chinese 32-year-old was left at a loss for time towards the end of the match and was left scrambling as Gukesh clinched the game.
With a day’s rest ahead for both competitors, an opportunity to reflect and relax arises after which the Championship shall resume with Game 4 on Friday.