Bengaluru, India – Five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen has weighed in on the upcoming World title match between reigning champion D. Gukesh and challenger Javokhir Sindarov, stating that while Sindarov is the favourite, Gukesh has the chances and the ceiling to defend his crown. Speaking on the sidelines of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League in Bengaluru, Carlsen emphasized that chess is a highly psychological game, and early momentum could prove decisive in the match.
“The way Gukesh has played for the last couple of years, he should not be in a position where he has to defend anything and should rather be in a position where he has everything to gain,” Carlsen said. “Yes, he has shown previously in 2024 that he has, when things click, the potential to play at an extremely high level. I don’t think a lot of people believe that he will do it now.” Carlsen noted that it “probably won’t take a lot to potentially place some doubts in Sindarov’s mind and some confidence in Gukesh’s,” but added, “As it stands, there is no question that Sindarov is the favourite.”
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Carlsen also expressed his admiration for R. Praggnanandhaa, who beat him twice at the recent Norway Chess tournament in Oslo. “I am a fan. I love watching him. He plays in a very aggressive way,” Carlsen said. “He manages to put pressure on basically everybody, including myself.” However, he noted that Praggnanandhaa is not yet consistent enough to have distanced himself from his peers. On the Global Chess League, Carlsen praised the lack of increments, saying, “I would have preferred that there is no two seconds after 40 moves as well. I think that was implemented after the request of us players who are incompetent and lazy at times.”
