After nine games of the World Chess Championship, both Gukesh and Ding Liren are tied on 4.5 points each. After each game, both players have gone to the press conference room and sat side by side answering questions.
After nine press conferences, there’s plenty we pieced together about Gukesh: his warm up routine, why he shuts his eyes on the board, how he maintains a poker face in games and what he would do if he was allowed to look at the engine just once during a game.
‘Good moves’ not numerology
After Game 4, Gukesh was asked if he, like chess legend Garry Kasparov, believes in numerology. The Russian world champion has spoken about how it was fitting he became the 13th world champion since he was born on 13th of April. The idea behind the question was that the 18-year-old Gukesh is looking to become the 18th world champion.
“I guess I should say I believe more in what Bobby Fischer had said (I believe in good moves). So I am just trying to make good moves,” smiled Gukesh.
Gukesh doesn’t have a preference of colours
In the second game press conference, Gukesh was asked if he preferred a particular colour.
“I see each game as a normal one, obviously white has a slight edge. But these days the difference is even less because of all the lines the computer comes up with. I don’t really have a preference,” he said.
Gukesh doesn’t mind criticism from super GMs
After his defeat in Game 1, Gukesh was criticised by former world champion Magnus Carlsen, who said there was “not a single good decision”.
Gukesh shrugged off the critique, with typical politeness.
“Yeah after some point in Game 1 all my moves were pretty bad. But it’s also understandable since it was my first game in the world championship. I was a bit nervous, it was a new setting for me. Even Magnus in his first world championship was not at his best at the start. It was a good game, but I was generally feeling good. It was not too much to handle,” he said.
Why does Gukesh shut his eyes on board?
“I guess it’s just normal. I usually do this. I close my eyes quite often during games, and sometimes, it’s just easier to calculate with your eyes closed. Maybe at some point, it’s like, I am sitting in this room, there’s nothing else to say, so I am just closing my eyes. But mostly, I am just thinking about the position,” Gukesh explained after Game 5.
Gukesh on distractions
After game 3, Gukesh was asked if the thought of how many fans are back home rooting for him, ever distracts him.
“Usually when I am playing, not really. In the span of four or five hours I usually get one or two distracting thoughts from time to time. That’s fine,” he said.
Would Gukesh rely on an engine during a game?
Both players were asked during Game 9 if they were allowed to check out the engine just for one move during the game, what move would they do it on. Gukesh earnestly replied: “I wouldn’t want to cheat at any point.”
Gukesh on maintaining poker face
At the press conference after Game 4, both players were asked if they practised keeping a poker face, especially when an opponent makes a blunder.
“In general I think I’m not a very expressive player. On the board I do show some emotion from time to time. But in general I’m more of a person who always maintains a poker face. I don’t really think too much about it,” he says while maintaining a poker face.
Which player from history would Gukesh want to play?
Bobby Fischer. “He’s someone I really admire. It would be cool to play Fischer,” said the Indian teen.
Gukesh’s pre-game rituals
Gukesh revealed that he spends some time in the morning of a game solving puzzles on the Chess.com app with a feature called Puzzle Rush.
“Puzzle Rush is always nice to do to warm up my mind,” said Gukesh.
Which athletes away from chess inspire Gukesh
“When I was younger, it was MS Dhoni. Now it’s Novak Djokovic,” said Gukesh.
Gukesh in the zone
At one of the press conferences, Gukesh was asked if he had spoken to compatriot Nihal Sarin to congratulate him after his win at the Presidents Cup in Uzbekistan.
Gukesh confessed that he wasn’t aware that Nihal had won.
“During the tournament I generally don’t talk to many people outside my team,” said Gukesh.
After Game 9, he added that he had largely stayed off the internet and social media during tournaments.
“During tournaments I generally don’t use social media. If it is important, my team will tell me. I myself don’t go on the internet and look at things. In general, it’s not that tough because I am not on social media too much anyway,” said the 18-year-old Gukesh, sounding unlike any 18-year-old.
Gukesh really likes playing chess
In game 6, Gukesh had rejected a draw by threefold repetition even though he was in a worse position. Asked about it, he grinned as he said: “I just like playing chess, yeah? It was more the position than psychological. I did not see too much danger so just wanted to play on and see what happened.”
Which past world champion inspires Gukesh?
“From the start it has been Vishy sir (Viswanathan Anand). And also Fischer and Carlsen inspire me a lot.”
The book that has impacted Gukesh the most?
Game Changer (a book about AlphaZero’s playing style and strategy and the science behind it).
The World Championship match that fascinates Gukesh
Fischer-Spassky in 2972. And Anand vs Carlsen in 2013, which was played in Chennai and Gukesh saw one game live.
If Gukesh became a world champion…
After game 6, Gukesh was asked what he would do immediately after he became a world champion: “I don’t know. I guess I will be happy first,” he said.
