Carlsen Offers Measured Praise for World Champion Gukesh, Cites Need for Further Impact

Magnus Carlsen, the world's top-ranked chess player, has offered a candid assessment of D. Gukesh, the reigning world champion. His remarks came after the first day of the SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz 2025 tournament.

Magnus Carlsen from Norway, left, and Gukesh Dommaraju from India during the first game of Norway Chess in Finansparken in Stavanger, Norway, Monday, May 26, 2025. (Carina Johansen/NTB via AP)

Gukesh, at just 19 years old, is currently tied for the lead with Carlsen, Wesley So, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda.

During an interview, Carlsen praised R. Praggnanandhaa, another young Indian chess talent. While acknowledging Gukesh's progress, Carlsen stated that he is yet to be truly impressed by the emerging Indian players.

"Pragg has done very, very well for a while now," said Carlsen. "I mean, he's won three classical super tournaments this year, which is extremely impressive. The other kids, they have their ups and downs." He also added, "Gukesh is showing signs of improvement as well. It's very hard to say who's going to do well. But in terms of impressing me, well, that remains to be seen."

Reflecting on his own performance in Round 1, Carlsen admitted to feeling "a little bit shaky," particularly when facing time pressure. He elaborated on his games, noting that he managed to secure a win against Wesley So despite feeling he "didn't really have much at all." In the final game, he aimed for a win but acknowledged flirting with a loss towards the end. Overall, Carlsen considered his score "all right" but felt he was "a bit rusty."