Magnus Carlsen Says He’ll Treat India's World Chess Champion D Gukesh as a ‘Weaker’ Player in Grand Chess Tour Croatia Leg

Magnus Carlsen says he’ll treat India's World Chess Champion D Gukesh as a ‘weaker’ player in Grand Chess Tour Croatia leg

Magnus Carlsen has yet to accept India's World Champion D Gukesh as a strong rapid and blitz player..Magnus Carlsen, D Gukesh, chess, World Champion, Grand Chess Tour, SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz, rapid chess, blitz chess, chess tournament, R Praggnanandhaa, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Alireza Firouzja, chess ratings, FIDE, chess news, chess analysis

Magnus Carlsen on taking on Gukesh at GCT Zagreb: I will approach it as if I am playing a weaker player

Speaking ahead of the pair’s first meeting since their showdown in the 2025 Norway Chess, Carlsen said, “Gukesh hasn’t done anything to [show] that he’s going to do well in such a tournament.”

D Gukesh silences Magnus Carlsen's 'weaker player' jibe, finishes Day 1 in joint lead in Croatia

Magnus Carlsen, who recently suffered his first classical defeat to D Gukesh, questioned the Indian grandmaster's skills in the rapid and blitz formats, labeling him as 'one of the weaker players'. But Gukesh proved him wrong on Wednesday.

Magnus Carlsen says Gukesh is ‘one of weaker players at Grand Chess Tour’: ‘Hope for his sake that he can play better’

Garry Kasparov had joked that they will get “heavier tables” for the Zagreb event in anticipation of Carlsen playing there after the Norway Chess incident. To this, Carlsen replied: “I plan to make good moves so that those gestures won't be necessary.”

Magnus Carlsen makes bold assessment of Gukesh at Grand Chess: One of weaker players

Magnus Carlsen has made a bold statement about reigning world champion Gukesh, questioning the teenager's credentials in faster formats by saying the youngest classical world champion in history "hasn't done anything to indicate he's going to do well in such a tournament.

Carlsen on Gukesh: ‘I’ll approach it like I’m playing one of the weaker players’

They will meet three times – once in rapid, and twice in blitz – during the third leg of the Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb