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The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Magnus Carlsen on taking on Gukesh at GCT Zagreb: I will approach it as if I am playing a weaker player
Magnus Carlsen has said that he will approach his upcoming match against Indian world champion D Gukesh as if he is coming up against 'one of the presumably weaker players.' 'I think Gukesh played quite well here last time, but it remains to be proven that he's one of the best players in this format,' said the Norwegian in the buildup to the pair's showdown at the Global Chess Tour, Rapid and Blitz tournament in Zagreb. READ ALSO: GCT 2025, Zagreb: Gukesh in four-way lead with Carlsen, So and Duda after opening day 'We have a very, very strong field…Gukesh hasn't done anything to [show] that he's going to do well in such a tournament. I hope, for his sake, that he can do better. But playing him in this tournament, I will approach it as if I'm playing one of the presumably weaker players (in the tournament),' Carlsen further added. The former world champion also named Alireza Firouzja as a 'clear second favourite' in the competition. Carlsen and Gukesh will meet thrice in Zagreb, once in rapid and twice in blitz. The first of these will be on July 3, marking the first time the two will face after their well-publicised meeting at the 2025 Norway Chess, where the Indian claimed a stunning victory.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Pragg-matic with ambition intact
R Praggnanandhaa R Praggnanandhaa once again stole a march over D Gukesh in an elite classical tournament this year. At Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands, he needed Erigaisi Arjun to win the last game of the classical phase before beating world champion Gukesh in tiebreak playoffs. But at the Global Chess Tour (GCT) Romania tournament, Pragg left his more celebrated compatriot far behind. It was not a high-scoring tournament. World No. 7 Pragg (Elo 2758) needed just two wins (over Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Wesley So) in nine games to be in a three-way tie and then proved himself to be better than Frenchmen Alireza Firouzja and Maxime Lagrave in blitz playoff. He had lost all three games, including one against Gukesh, in last year's four-way playoff in the same tournament. Though Pragg reached the 2023 World Cup final and defeated Magnus Carlsen multiple times in speed chess, Gukesh and Arjun made more definitive progress in classical chess last year. Pragg is turning a new leaf now with solidity and pragmatism without compromising much on an ambitious approach. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Cost Of Amusement Park Equipment From Mexico Might Surprise You Amusement Park Equipment | search ads Click Here Undo Former seven-time national champion Pravin Thipsay told TOI: 'He played speculative chess in 2023 and thereabouts. The Candidates 2024 was a great opportunity which made him fully understand that speculative play can't be the strategy in a classical game. He now plays more accurate openings and consistently follows the strategic ideas in the sharp positions he chooses.' With two defeats and eight wins at Wijk and Bucharest in 22 games among elite rivals, what is he doing differently this year? 'Nothing specific,' Pragg said. 'I am trying to be more ambitious whenever I play, trying to go for tournament wins. Thanks to Ramesh sir too, when things were not going my way last year, we were trying to improve on things. I think we are seeing the results of that hard work.' Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
