‘Defending World crown at home would be super cool’: D Gukesh

OSLO: D Gukesh has said that if his World Chess Championship match is held in India, “it will be super cool” to play. The 19-year-old was speaking in a press conference on the eve of the Norway elite tournament that began on Monday.The 18th world champion is set to play Javokhir Sindarov later this year. The challenger has said he would like to play in a warm country and not at his home Uzbekistan because it would be quite cold there in November and December.The teenager’s stated preference is somewhat surprising considering V Anand’s 0-3 (7 draws) defeat to Magnus Carlsen in the 2013 Chennai match. Carlsen played none of his five title matches in his home country Norway.Anand had recently told Li Chess’ youtube channel, “You don’t get to choose (many things, including timelines and venues). Hence I would not have had a chance to choose. I played against Carlsen and I was not happy that it happened in Chennai. I was not happy it happened right away (just a year after the 2012 match against Gelfand). But I had not lost my connection with reality that I do not get to choose these things.”Gukesh said the (critical) comments about his form are fair. “I myself would say that my performances are way below expectations. The audience has a right to say what they feel, I have a right to do my job the best possible way. And I am focused on that.”Carlsen, who held the World title from 2013 to 2023, retained his numero uno status by winning many elite classical tournaments. Still, his place in history was measured by the world titles he won. And the Norwegian talked about being trapped in the expectations from others.“It was a challenge for me to find the world championship as important as others did. I never felt that way. I thought I was doing it for others than myself.”Gukesh’s task is more challenging because unlike Carlsen, he is not winning other tournaments and slipped from Elo 2794 to 2732 and to No. 18 in world rankings.Of course, unlike Anand and Carlsen, Gukesh is a work in progress as a chess player, having not attained playing maturity but still winning the highest title available. He said, “Everyone underestimates the spotlight and expectations that come along with the title. I had to deal with it but at the same time, pressure is a privilege. It’s a chance for me to grow.”