Magnus Carlsen believes that D Gukesh and the other Indian players are not likely to match his chess dominance currently, following his victory at the Norway Chess on Friday, June 6. Carlsen claimed the tournament title for the seventh time after Gukesh’s mistake in his match against Fabiano Caruana proved costly for the World Champion, leading to his defeat.
‘Gukesh won’t be favorite to retain WC’
Carlsen also thinks that newly crowned world chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju won’t be the favorite to retain his title next year if one of the veterans like Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, or Ian Nepomniachtchi qualifies to compete against the Indian teenager in the upcoming World Championship.
Speaking to Chess24 ahead of the final day of Norway Chess, Carlsen said, “I think if Hikaru (Nakamura) or Fabi (Caruana), or probably Nepo (Ian Nepomniachtchi) for that matter, win the Candidates they would be, at the moment, they would be a favorite in a match against Gukesh. Hikaru’s come close twice. He’s still extremely good so there’s no reason why he couldn’t.”
Norway Chess 2025 concluded on Friday, and the last day was packed with intense drama. The match between Magnus Carlsen and Arjun Erigaisi resulted in a draw, and subsequently, Carlsen claimed the title as Fabiano Caruana triumphed over D Gukesh.
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‘No Indian Good Enough’
Carlsen, who tied his game with Arjun Erigaisi from an unfavorable position, secured the title. In the interview, the World No. 1 was questioned whether Indian players like Gukesh, Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa can achieve similar success in chess. Carlsen replied that it seems improbable at this time.
The top-ranked player stated that Gukesh demonstrated throughout the tournament that he is progressing but isn’t significantly ahead regarding his development at the moment.
“There is no one. No one currently. That’s the honest answer. It is possible, but currently, it’s unlikely. I believe Gukesh demonstrated in this tournament that he’s on the right path, doing incredibly well, but perhaps he’s not as far ahead as we might have expected,” Carlsen said.
Speaking to ANI Karlsen stated, “Both are quite talented (Gukesh and Arjun), but they still require some time for preparation. There is also a tournament taking place concurrently in Armenia, where Pragg (R Praggnanandhaa) and Aravindh Chithambaram displayed excellent chess skills… It may not be a fond memory, but the match that will stand out is the one against Gukesh.”
