CHENNAI: D Gukesh, long been considered as the gold standard for the upcoming generation of chess players from India, is expected to overhaul a longstanding Magnus Carlsen mark. The 17-year-old is set to become the youngest ever player to have a published rating of 2750. Gukesh, who breached the 2750 mark following his unbeaten showing in the Turkish Super League, has a live rating of 2750.9 and is tipped to maintain that mark when FIDE publishes its next ratings in 10 days or so. Carlsen and Alireja Firoujza also broke the 2750 barrier when they were 17 but Gukesh is younger.
Gukesh, who is currently preparing for the World Cup to be held from later this month, is also in line to go past a record that’s stood for 37 years. Viswanathan Anand has always been India’s No. 1 in Classical play since 1986 (in published ratings) but Gukesh is just 3.1 rating points away). However, Gukesh isn’t focusing on such milestones. Not now anyway.
Right now, his focus is on qualifying for the eight-person Candidates event next April. The Chennai-born teen has multiple ways to get into that event. Finishing in the top three of the World Cup is one route. The other straightforward route is to be in the top two of the Grand Swiss Tournament.
One reason why he has risen from World No. 24 to knocking on the door of the top 10 in the last six months is the work he has put in on his openings. “Wanted to be in the top 10 at the beginning of the year,” his coach, Vishnu Prasanna, told this daily. “He has become more consistent. In the last six-eight months, his openings have improved. He’s devoting more time to it than he used to. That’s the main difference.”
He also has an ace up his sleeve. He has spent some quality time with Polish GM, Grzegorz Gajewski. “He has support from Vishy’s Academy as well as Gajewski,” Prasanna said. “He’s also part of the team, he’s the main guy responsible for the openings along with Vishy.” He has also become more intimate with the grammar of studying his opponents before tournaments.
“He’s playing more closed events, knows who his opponents are. Seeing what his opponents are doing and preparing according to that, he’s doing that more than before.” Even if overtaking Anand is a very real prospect in the next month or so, qualifying for the Candidates is the short-term goal. “Focus is on that,” Prasanna said. “There are a few qualifying events coming up in the next few months.” It’s one of the hardest competitions to get to but Gukesh, going by recent trend, is giving himself the best possible shot at featuring in it.
Know Gukesh
Age: 17
Live Rating: 2750.9 (11th in the world)
FIDE Rating: 2744
Expected to be the youngest to ever have a published Rating of over 2750 when the next FIDE ratings come out in just over a week
Is just 3.1 rating points behind Viswanathan Anand. No Indian has managed to overhaul Anand’s FIDE Classical Rating since July 1986