Gukesh: “I can’t wait to start the match”

“I’m really looking forward to the world championship match in Singapore,” general manager Gukesh Dommaraju said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday, with journalists from different media outlets able to ask questions during a call Zoom. Below we provide the questions and answers for the 2024 FIDE World Championship against GM Ding Liren.

Q: It’s been a pretty incredible 2024 for you with all the great victories you’ve had. How would you sum up your year so far and are you looking forward to competing in Singapore for the World Chess Championship?

Gukesh: It’s been a pretty good year so far. Lots of interesting failures and great achievements. I’m really looking forward to the world championship match in Singapore. It’s coming soon and I can’t wait to start the match.

I think many people in the chess community say that you are one of the favorites for the world title. Do you like this favorite tag or would you rather be the underdog?

In general, I don’t believe in predictions, or favorites, etc. I just think that whoever is able to show up every day as the best will end up winning the game. I just focus on the process and try to be at my best every day and play a good game. I just want to enjoy the experience.

Can you briefly share your preparation process for such an important match?

The process is pretty typical for world championships. I have a team and we prepare hard. I’m just trying to be at my best for the world championship and just trying to enjoy every moment of this journey.

I’m just trying to enjoy every moment of this trip.

You are in excellent shape and Ding is coming back after a difficult period. In this world championship, it’s another match. How are you going to prepare for this? Who are the people in your area?

It will certainly be an interesting match. We are both strong players. There will be a lot of exciting games. I’m really looking forward to it as a chess player and fan. I hope it’s a great experience for all chess lovers. I can say [GM Grzegorz] Gajewski will be my coach for the match. Other than that, I can’t reveal anything.

I can say that Gajewski will be my coach for the match. Other than that, I can’t reveal anything.

How do you deal with the pressure of representing India on the international stage while pursuing your personal ambitions? And what message would you like to share with young aspiring chess players around the world?

It is always a privilege to play for India at such a high level and I am enjoying the experience. I’m happy that many people are supporting us and looking forward to this. I think the way I deal with pressure is mostly through experience. I’ve played a lot of those tournaments – I’m not talking about the world championship – but I’ve represented India in a lot of high-level tournaments and I’ve been through a lot of high-pressure situations. So I’m used to that. The world championship will definitely be a different experience. I am looking forward to the new experience.

My message to all children everywhere is to simply enjoy the game; chess is a beautiful game. It has many advantages. If you like gaming, it’s a very good hobby. And if you’re talented, it’s great to be a professional chess player.

My message to all children everywhere is to simply enjoy the game; chess is a beautiful game.

I think the main reason why Magnus Carlsen no longer wants to defend his title is that he is tired of the months of preparation and the emphasis on computer-prepared openings. So I was curious to hear your thoughts. Do you like the preparation part of the opening and the great influence of computers? Or do you also think or hope that this match will be decided in other parts of the game?

I think a little about both. Overall, I enjoy the process. It’s different for Magnus [Carlsen] and me. Magnus has been doing this for so many years, and I’m just getting into it, so it’s a new experience, so it’s easier to enjoy it for me than for him.

Magnus has been doing this for so many years, and I’m just getting into it, so it’s a new experience, so it’s easier to enjoy it for me than for him.

There is obviously a lot of preparation going on. It’s hard work, but I enjoy the process and what happens in the future; let’s see later. But for now, it’s a new experience and I’m looking forward to it. I think all the preparation will be important in the matches, I think it’s quite important, but also, there will obviously be other parts of the match which will decide the results.

It’s easy to forget that you’re only 18 and you’ve been through a lot. You mentioned that you learned a lot, especially when you were aiming for the Grandmaster title in 2019, and that helped you. Do you think your age is an advantage or a disadvantage in your career and in chess at the moment?

I think there are pros and cons. Due to my young age, compared to more experienced players, I have more energy and it is easier to stay focused during long tournaments. And it’s all new to me, and it’s easier to enjoy it than someone like Fabi[ano Caruana]who has gone through these World Championship cycles so many times. There is no such baggage for me.

The downside is obviously that I don’t have as much experience and haven’t played as much as them. I don’t have as much knowledge as them. But so far I think it’s positive.

Learn more about Ding. Can you share your perspective on his playing style? Are you doing anything to prepare for certain aspects that go against his playing style or other areas of his game?

I think Ding is pretty universal. Almost every player at the highest level needs to be universal at this point. So there are minute differences between all the players, and I do my best to analyze them and use them to my advantage.

I think Ding is pretty universal.

You are young and you play matches regularly. How do you prepare for a big world championship match? Do you break away from tournaments and prepare yourself, or do you think that participating in tournaments is the right way to move forward?

There has to be a balance, that’s for sure. You can’t play a crazy number of tournaments before the match. This has been done before, but it doesn’t make sense to completely stop playing tournaments before the match. As long as there is a balance, I feel good about what I do.

I would like to know what Gukesh might think about the fact that this year’s championship is in Asia and the team, Gukesh and Ding, are both from Asia. Do you think this year’s championship could trigger a chess boom in Asia, outside of India and China as well?

Yes, it’s good that it’s the first time that there is no European in a world championship match. And I hope in Asia it will become even more popular, but I think we’re already seeing really nice growth, not just in India. China has also been a superpower for the past few years, and Uzbekistan is also catching up. There is a lot of potential. Chess is by far the most popular in India. I hope this will gain even more momentum in India, but also that other countries will take it more seriously.

It’s good that this is the first time that there is no European in a world championship match.

I’m going to quickly ask you a question about Singapore, Gukesh. Have you ever been to Singapore? What do you expect from Singapore?

Yes, I have been to Singapore several times. Once on vacation before I started playing chess, the other time was one of my first international victories – Asians under nine or something; I don’t remember it. I have good memories of the Asian Championship in Singapore. Singapore is a beautiful country and I’m super happy to have this match there.

You are going to play in Sentosa, one of the most beautiful places.

I’ve heard a lot about it. I think I even went there during the holidays, but I’m not sure. I’m super happy with the venue and I expect it to be a great experience.

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