# Gukesh crumbling under pressure, needs to shut out noise: Nakamura 2026-08-13T09:46:47+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura said world champion D Gukesh is 'crumbling' under the weight of expectations and needs to block out external and internal pressure. Speaking to PTI, Nakamura criticised Gukesh's reluctance to take draws, saying he should stop trying to play for the win in every game. Gukesh’s classical rating has dropped to 2703 since his 2024 world title win, with last-place finishes at Norway Chess and a Chennai event. Nakamura assessed the upcoming title defence against Uzbek challenger Javokhir Sindarov as a '75-25' match in Sindarov’s favour but said a close result is possible. He also called Viswanathan Anand the 'godfather' of Indian chess and hinted the 2028 Chess Olympiad could be his last 'true classical' tournament. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com - sports.ndtv.com Tags: Chess, Gukesh, Hikaru Nakamura, Indian chess, world championship Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/gukesh-crumbling-under-pressure-needs-to-block-out-noise-nakamura/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/gukesh-crumbling-under-pressure-needs-to-block-out-noise-nakamura/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.