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The crown of world champion isn’t enough for Gukesh. In fact, he wants to dethrone Carlsen. Why? Because as we all know, to be the best, you have to beat the best.
D Gukesh is the 18th world chess champion in history. (PTI Photo)
The 18-year-old Indian GM ousted Chinese GM Ding Liren in Game 14 of the World Chess Championships to become the youngest world champion in the history of the sport last Thursday.
With his monumental win, Gukesh became the 18th GM and just the second Indian GM, after the legendary Viswanathan Anand, to win the world championship title.
But, for young Gukesh, the hunger to improve and to evolve is a mere constant, and the Indian already has an idea on a step to take in the right direction to achieve that: take on Magnus Carlsen.
Carlsen, a five-time World Champion himself, has undoubtedly cemented his legacy as the arguably the best chess player of all time. But, the Norwegian seemingly had enough of FIDE and in particular, the World Championship, as he relinquished his title in 2022, stating that he just wasn’t motivated to defend it.
So, when asked about the prospect of facing off against the famed Norwegian, who Gukesh calls as ‘the best’, the young World Champion did not shy away from sending his message.
“I think we all know where Magnus is at this point. He has very openly stated that he does not enjoy this format (classical), or the World Championships,” Gukesh stated in a talk with FIDE after his championship win.
“But, personally, as a chess fan and someone who wants to improve himself, I would love it if Magnus decides to come back. It would be the biggest challenge that I can possibly face. He’s clearly the best and probably the greatest of all time.”
Well, this may be a bit of a distant dream to hold on to for Gukesh, bacause Carlsen has recently yet again voiced his lack of interest in doing so, stating, “I am not part of this circus anymore.”
But, the crown of world champion isn’t enough for Gukesh. In fact, he wants to dethrone Carlsen. Why? Because as we all know, to be the best, you have to beat the best.
“It’s my dream (to be known as the greatest of all time). As a kid, I wanted to become a world champion because I thought that meant I was the best player in the world. Now, it’s still a huge achievement and it means a lot to me. But, my main goal has been to be the best in the world, and achieve my full potential. If that’s enough to become the greatest of all time, then sure.
“All the top players like Magnus, Fabi (Caruana), Hikaru (Nakamura), and Nepo (Nepomniachtchi), they are all motivation for me to keep working hard. I guess that’s the beauty of competition.”