Now Reading: Gukesh crumbling under pressure, needs to block out noise: Nakamura
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Gukesh crumbling under pressure, needs to block out noise: Nakamura
American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has said world champion D Gukesh is crumbling under the weight of expectations and needs to shut out the noise to regain form. Speaking to PTI on Wednesday,…
The Story in Brief
American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has said world champion D Gukesh is crumbling under the weight of expectations and needs to shut out the noise to regain form. Speaking to PTI on Wednesday, Nakamura said Gukesh's slump, a last-place finish at Norway Chess and a recent event in Chennai, plus low finishes at Tata Steel Chess and the Prague Masters, stems from external and internal pressure. His classical rating has dropped to 2703 in the August 2026 list.
Nakamura called Uzbek challenger Javokhir Sindarov the favourite for Gukesh's title defence, rating it 75-25 in Sindarov's favour, but said the match would be close. The 38-year-old American also said he is eyeing the 2028 Chess Olympiad as his last 'true classical' tournament, criticising 45-minute formats being labelled as classical chess.
The Indian Opinion
Nakamura's frank diagnosis, that Gukesh is 'crumbling', is a rare outsider's take on the immense pressure Indian chess prodigies face. The temptation will be to frame this as a crisis of talent. It is not. Gukesh became world champion at 18 by taking risks; the same style is now costing him rating points. The real test is not whether he wins back rating but whether he can adapt his game without losing his edge. Can he learn to take a draw?
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
