KOLKATA: It took more than 36 years for India to get a new No. 1 player in chess as D Gukesh replaced five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand from the perch last month. But the Chennai boy is not sure how long his reign at the top will last.
“It’s difficult to say,” he said after the completion of the rapid event of the Tata Steel Chess India tournament at the Bhasha Bhawan in the National Library of India campus here on Thursday.
He is aware of the fact that a crop of youngsters like R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin and others are in hot pursuit.
“Other players are also doing very well and there’s a lot of competition to get to the top. But I would like to be there as long as possible,” he said.
However, not much has changed for the 17-year-old till now. “I have just become No. 1 and have not felt any added pressure so far. But I am used to handling expectations. I am happy with the progress I am making but there’s still a long way to go,” he remarked
Like his teammate Prag, Gukesh too wants to be crowned the world champion one day.
“I have trust in myself and if I do all the right things I can surely make it,” he said.
Described as the “strongest classical player among the younger lot” by World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Gukesh is now focusing on his rapid and blitz chess too.
