With former world champion Garry Kasparov terming reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju’s world title triumph as ‘very totally different’ and sharing that the period of classical world champions ended with Magnus Carlsen profitable the classical world title, former ladies’s world champion and Grandmaster Susan Polgar has defended Gukesh. With Kasparov calling Gukesh ‘hardly the strongest participant on the planet’, Polgar termed Gukesh as a ‘deserving world champion’ and in addition answered the critics that it was not Gukesh’s fault that Carlsen didn’t compete on the planet championship.
“Gukesh is a deserving World Classical Champion, interval! He went by means of the FIDE Candidates as an 18-year-old, the youngest within the event, and got here out forward of huge stars like Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja, and Pragg, and many others. It was not his fault that Magnus Carlsen walked away from his title. If we, as a chess group, delegitimise his title as a result of he didn’t beat Carlsen, then we have to do the identical for World Champions after Bobby Fischer, since he additionally walked away from his title! We can’t have totally different requirements for gamers we like or dislike.” Polgar posted on X.
MUST READ | Garry Kasparov on Gukesh: ‘Period of classical world champions ended with Magnus Carlsen’
🇮🇳 Gukesh 🇮🇳 is a DESERVING World Classical Champion, interval! He went by means of the FIDE Candidates as an 18 12 months previous, the youngest within the event, and got here out forward of huge stars Caruana, Nakamura, Nepo, Firouzja, and Pragg, and many others. It was not his fault that Magnus Carlsen walked… pic.twitter.com/5BtzXHHqYk
— Susan Polgar (@SusanPolgar) August 22, 2025
Gukesh had turn into the youngest-ever world champion in chess historical past along with his 7.5-6.5 win over the defending world champion Ding Liren of China within the 2024 FIDE World Championship closing in Singapore final 12 months. The Indian grandmaster had certified for the world championship closing match towards Liren after profitable the Candidates Match. Former world champion Magnus Carlsen, who had first turn into world champion in 2013 defeating Viswanathan Anand, had final received the world title in 2023 and has not performed in classical world championship matches since then.
This week, Gukesh has been competing within the Sinquefield Cup and had suffered a primary loss towards fellow Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa earlier than profitable towards GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov within the subsequent match. Gukesh had performed three attracts publish the win and Kasparov made his feedback concerning the Indian Grandmaster’s world championship win throughout his draw towards wild card entrant Samuel Sevian of the US on Friday. “Gukesh received truthful and sq. however you may hardly name him the strongest participant on the planet. I don’t wish to sound offensive however I believe Magnus ended the period of classical world champions. Gukesh’s world championship title could be very totally different. It’s nonetheless clear that Magnus is the strongest and Gukesh is but to show his superiority over others. Even gamers of his age class. The spherical 1 sport towards Praggnanandhaa on the Sinquefield Cup was very unimpressive. The foundations are the foundations and the video games are the video games,” Kasparov mentioned whereas commentating.
Earlier, Gukesh had defeated Carlsen in a fast sport in SuperUnited Speedy and Blitz Croatia 2025 in Zagreb. The World champion had additionally scored a win over Carlsen in a classical chess match in Norway Chess. Polgar had additionally proven reward for Gukesh at the moment. “I’m so completely satisfied for Gukesh.Some have doubted his worthiness as a World Champion, and believed that he was only a fortunate winner towards an off kind Ding Liren. I learn lots of criticism from doubters. On this event in Croatia, he began off with a loss towards Duda. He was already written off as a backside feeder by others. Then he received 5 straight, taking down Firouzja with white, Praggnanandhaa with black, Abdusattorov with black, Caruana with white, and Carlsen with black! It doesn’t matter what will occur tomorrow, beating these 5 consecutively is a feat only a few can ever do. I hope this may give him confidence to rise to a different stage!” Polgar had posted on X.
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