Gukesh: 'I'm Quite Eager To Start The Match'

"I'm really looking forward to the world championship match in Singapore," said GM Gukesh Dommaraju in a virtual press conference held on Tuesday, with journalists from different media able to ask questions in a Zoom call. Below we provide the questions and answers about the 2024 FIDE World Championship against GM Ding Liren. 

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

Gukesh: The year so far has been quite good. A lot of interesting chess and some nice achievements. I'm really looking forward to the world championship match in Singapore. It's coming soon, and I'm quite eager to start the match. 

I think quite a few people in the chess community have been saying that you're a favorite for the world title. Do you enjoy that favorite tag, or do you prefer to be the underdog?

In general, I don't believe in predictions and who are the favorites, etc. I just think that whoever is able to show up every day as the best will win the game eventually. I'm just focusing on the process, and I try to just be at my best every day and play a good game. I just want to enjoy the experience.

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

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

I'm just trying to enjoy each moment of this journey.

You have been in terrific form, and Ding is coming back after a rough run. In this world championship, it's a different match. How are you going to prepare for that? Who are the people in your corner?

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

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

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

It's always a privilege to play for India at such a high level, and I enjoy the experience. I'm glad a lot of people are supportive and are looking forward to this. I think how I handle pressure is mostly through experience. I’ve played a lot of these tournaments—I mean not the world championship—but I’ve represented India in many top tournaments, and I’ve had many high-pressure situations. So I'm used to this. The world championship will be a different experience for sure. I'm looking forward to the new experience.

My message for all the kids around the globe is just to enjoy the game; chess is a beautiful game. It has many benefits. If you enjoy the game, it's a very good hobby to have. And if you're talented, it's very nice to be a professional chess player.

My message for all the kids around the globe is just to enjoy the game; chess is a beautiful game. 

I believe the main reason Magnus Carlsen doesn't want to defend his title anymore is because he's fed up with the months of preparation and the focus on computer-prepared openings. So I was curious about your opinion. Are you enjoying the opening preparation part and the big influence of the computers? Or do you also feel or hope this match will be decided in other parts of the game? 

I think a bit of both. I basically enjoy the process. It's different for Magnus [Carlsen] and me. Magnus has been doing this for so many years, and I'm just coming up, so it’s a new experience, so it's easier to enjoy this for me than for him.

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

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

It's easy to forget that you're just 18 and you've experienced quite a lot. You mentioned that you've learned a lot, especially when you were chasing that grandmaster title in 2019, and that has helped you. Do you feel your age is an advantage or a disadvantage, in your career and chess right now?

I think there are pros and cons. Because of my young age, compared to the more experienced players, I have more energy levels, and it's easier to stay focused during long tournaments. And just everything is new for me, and it's easier to enjoy this than someone like Fabi[ano Caruana], who has gone through these World Championship cycles so many times. There is not that kind of baggage for me.

The disadvantage is obviously that I'm not as experienced and have not played as much as them. I don't have as much knowledge as them. But, till now, I think it has been positive.

More on Ding. Can you share your views on his playing style? Are you doing anything to prepare certain aspects that counter his playing style or other areas of his play?

I think Ding is quite universal. Almost all the players at the top level have to be universal at this point. So there are minute differences between all the players, and I'm trying my best to analyze them and use them to my advantage.

I think Ding is quite universal.

You're young and playing matches regularly. How do you prepare for a big world championship match? Do you detach yourself from tournament play and prepare, or do you think playing in tournaments is the right way to go forward?

There has to be a balance for sure. You can't be playing a crazy amount of tournaments before the match. It 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'm doing.

I would like to know what Gukesh might think with this year's championship being in Asia and the lineup, Gukesh and Ding, both from Asia. Do you think this year's championship could initiate a chess boom in Asia, outside of India and China too?

Yeah, it's nice that this will be the first time there is no European in a world championship match. And I hope in Asia it becomes even more popular, but I think we're already seeing some very nice growth, not only in India. China has also been a superpower for a few years, and Uzbekistan is also catching up. There's a lot of potential. Chess is most popular in India by a far margin. I hope it grows even bigger in India but also that other countries take it more seriously. 

It's nice that this will be the first time there is no European in a world championship match.

I'll quickly ask you one question about Singapore, Gukesh. Have you been to Singapore before? What do you expect from Singapore?

Yeah, I've been a couple of times to Singapore. Once on vacation before I started playing chess, the other time was one of my first international wins—some Asian under-nine or something; I don’t remember. I have some pleasant memories from the Asian Championship in Singapore. Singapore is a beautiful country and I'm super glad to have the match there.

You're going to be playing in Sentosa—one of the most beautiful places.

I've heard a lot about it. I think I've even been there during the vacation, but I’m not sure. I'm super happy with the venue and expect it to be a very beautiful experience.

Previous coverage:

• Ding-Gukesh World Championship Match Venue Announced
• Singapore Chosen For Ding vs. Gukesh FIDE World Championship
• 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship: All The Information