Daijiworld Media Network - Singapore

Singapore, Jun 2: Elite athletes often dismiss outside noise—those murmurs and criticisms beyond their inner circle—as mere distractions. Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh knows this well. Since becoming the youngest world champion in December last year, questions have swirled: Is he truly the best? Could he beat Magnus Carlsen in classical chess?

That noise grew louder after Gukesh’s opening round loss to Carlsen here, their first meeting since Gukesh’s world title. His coach Grzegorz Gajewski says the recent win over Carlsen is more than just a victory—it’s a confidence booster and a quieting of doubts.

“First, he had never beaten Magnus. Then came the comments—‘You’re champion only because Magnus didn’t play,’” Gajewski told journalists. “You try not to hear those, but losing to Magnus repeatedly is tough. Now that he’s beaten him, I hope it gives Gukesh the credit and confidence he deserves.”

Gukesh himself acknowledges Carlsen remains the best player, calling their clash “special.” With Carlsen focusing only on classical chess at home and stepping away from defending his world title, Gajewski says, “Why should we be bothered with that?”

The win marks a turning point for Gukesh, strengthening his claim and silencing the noise once and for all.