Dommaraju Gukesh admitted that he had to make some readjustments to get used to life after winning the chess World Chess Championship in late 2024. Gukesh said at the the opening ceremony of the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz in Zagreb that he has now gotten to grips with the new life and is back to concentrating just improving himself again. When the MC commended Gukesh for striving to improve himself even after becoming the World Champion, Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov, who sharing the dais, gave a glimpse into the mind of someone who scales the heights of the sport.
“The moment you stop improving, actually the moment you stop thinking about improving – it’s over,” he said. Kasparov first won the World Championship in 1985 at the age of 22, making him the youngest to hold the title until Gukesh broke that record when he won it aged 18 in December 2024. He held the title until 1993, defending it three times against his great rival Anatoly Karpov.
“I stayed on top so long because I knew that the main opponent is your own excellence. You have to keep improving all the time or at least you have to try. Because the moment you rest, you know it’ll not take long especially now to decline,” said Kasparov.
“It took some time for me to get adjusted to the title and the new expectations, the new schedule being so hectic,” Gukesh had said before that. “But now I’ve kind of settled into the new life. Now I am back to focussing on working hard and being my best self in every tournament.”
Gukesh to face Carlsen for the first time since Norway Chess
Gukesh won the title after beating the title-holder Ding Liren. While there were hushed voices questioning his legitimacy as world champion, since world no 1 Magnus Carlsen had willingly abdicated the title, Gukesh silenced most of those critics as well by stunningly beating the Norwegian last month.
Carlsen and Gukesh will now play each other for the first time at the event in Zagreb since the famous fist smash on the board in Norway few weeks ago. The duo shared a moment during the opening ceremony when Gukesh came and sat next to Gukesh in the front row while the Norwegian was signing autographs and taking selfies with young fans. When Carlsen turned he noticed Gukesh and instinctively greeted the teenage Indian who now occupies the world champion’s throne. He also extended his palm for a handshake.
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