Magnus Carlsen, one of the most celebrated chess players in history, shared his unvarnished opinion on D Gukesh. Carlsen, after playing against Gukesh in the Norway Chess tournament, provided a detailed assessment of the young Indian Grandmaster. Despite Gukesh’s victory over Carlsen in a head-to-head match, Carlsen believes that Gukesh is not yet equipped to maintain a dominant position in chess for an extended period.
During an interview, Carlsen was asked about potential players who could replicate his achievements. He stated that, at present, no one is clearly positioned to do so. He highlighted that, while Gukesh has shown great promise, he is not significantly ahead of his contemporaries to ensure a long reign. Carlsen compared Gukesh’s current phase to his own in 2008-2009, emphasizing the need for fighting qualities in addition to strong positional play.
Carlsen also noted that young chess players, including Gukesh, are not expected to have mastered all aspects of the game. He observed that others in this generation also exhibit weaknesses, which is normal for their age. Carlsen suggested that the likelihood of one of them becoming the undisputed number one is not very clear. He stressed that exceptional talents are rare, indicating that the path to sustained success is exceptionally challenging.
Carlsen went on to win the Norway Chess tournament with a total of 16 points, after a draw with Arjun Erigaisi in the final round. His observations provide a professional perspective on the path to chess mastery and the specific characteristics needed for sustained excellence.