Reigning world champion D Gukesh has candidly admitted that his recent performances have fallen short of expectations, saying criticism from former greats is justified as he looks to rediscover form at the Norway Chess Tournament ahead of his World Championship title defence later this year.
Gukesh, who turns 20 on May 29, begins his Norway Chess campaign against Germany’s Vincent Keymer on Monday. The Indian Grandmaster is hoping for a turnaround after a string of disappointing finishes across major tournaments this year.
"Most of it (critical comments made by former greats) I don't see, but there are some that I have heard and I think it's fair," said Gukesh on Sunday.
"I have not been performing well in the last one-and-a-half year and I think I would say that my performances have been way below expectations. They (critics) have the right to say what they feel and I have the right to do my best," added the reticent teenager while seated alongside one of his critics, former world champion Magnus Carlsen.
Carlsen, currently the world No. 1, is chasing a record-extending eighth Norway Chess title on home soil.
Gukesh endured a difficult run this season, finishing 10th at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, ninth at the Prague International Chess Festival, and sixth at the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland event on the Grand Chess Tour.
The Indian has opted out of all classical events on the Grand Chess Tour and plans to play only Norway Chess and the Chess Olympiad before defending his world title against Uzbek challenger Javokhir Sindarov later this year.
His inconsistent form has led to criticism from several top players. Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi recently remarked that the Indian “plays badly” at times, while former world champion Anatoly Karpov said Gukesh won the world crown “by accident”. Carlsen, too, has repeatedly questioned the quality of games during the 2024 World Championship match against China’s Ding Liren in Singapore.
Sindarov is also competing in Oslo and is expected to closely observe Gukesh’s games before their highly anticipated title clash.
"Yes, Norway Chess and the Olympiad are the two tournaments I will be playing, there are more which I am considering," said Gukesh, without elaborating on his plans.
The Indian star said he would be open to defending his title anywhere in the world, though hosting the World Championship in India would make the occasion even more special.
"Anywhere would be nice... In India there's always a lot of pressure. The World Championships will attract a lot of (attention). If it's in India it will be supercool and I will be very happy," he added.
Reflecting on the challenge of retaining the world title, Gukesh admitted defending the crown demands a different mindset.
"Surely there are different mindsets going into winning both the matches and many people have said that defending a title is more difficult than actually winning it. So for sure, there is a lot of expectation and pressure of not wanting to lose.
"But at the end of the day the basic thing is to go there and play good chess. Yeah, I'll try my best to win," he said.
Gukesh also reflected on the viral moment from Norway Chess 2025 when Carlsen, frustrated after losing to the Indian, banged the table in exasperation.
"My job is to play chess. That (winning or losing) is not in my control. But that moment in general I guess speaks about...chess players generally don't show a lot of emotions but when it did happen, a lot of people got attracted to chess," he concluded.