'My performance has been disappointing': D Gukesh to skip events after tough run

India's reigning World Champion D Gukesh has decided to reduce his tournament commitments this year after a series of results he described as below expectations, choosing to play only two events in the Grand Chess Tour in 2026 and focus on training ahead of his world title defence.The reigning world champion has had a mixed run in recent months. He exited early as the top seed at the Chess World Cup in November 2025 held in India, followed by finishes outside the top positions at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in December. He also placed 10th after tie-breaks at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and finished ninth at the Prague Chess Festival. "My performance in the last few events has been quite disappointing, not just for me, but for all of you who support me," wrote Gukesh on 'X'."In order to find my best form my team and I have decided that I should compete with slightly less intensity over the next few months. Consequently, we feel it is in my best interest to skip long events away from home to allow for more dedicated training time," he added.Gukesh will defend the world title he won in 2024 after defeating Ding Liren in Singapore. His challenger is yet to be decided and will emerge from the FIDE Candidates Tournament currently being held in Cyprus, where eight players are competing for the spot.He also said he had requested the organisers of the Grand Chess Tour to limit his participation this season."With this in mind, I approached the Grand Chess Tour organisers and asked to play only two European Rapid & Blitz events. They were very supportive and understanding, and we agreed that I would participate in the Rapid & Blitz tournaments in Warsaw and Zagreb this year."I’m very grateful for their support. Respectfully, I am not planning to play any other events during the Grand Chess Tour schedule and will certainly be back for the full Grand Chess Tour in the future," he added.