Carlsen's preparation almost always seems to bank on the endgame. Take the opponent out of their early preparation and into the realm of the unknown, where they have to sit and make their calculations on the table. It may seem like a basic strategy, but its genius lies in its simplicity. Given the amount of time that Grandmasters (GMs) pour into their preparations these days, taking them out of line is not easy.

But Carlsen manages to do that in almost every match and that is the enormity of the challenge that awaits 17-year-old D Gukesh when he takes on the Norwegian in the quarter-final of the FIDE World Cup on Tuesday.

The young Indian GM is on a high. He became only the second Indian to go past Viswanathan Anand in the live ratings recently and he also became the youngest in the world to go past the 2700 Elo rating mark, beating the record set by Carlsen himself.

To find himself in this position, he has clearly done a lot of things right. But Carlsen has faced such players before and blunted them with an almost bored look on his face.

It is this nonchalance that is disconcerting. Just after getting past Vincent Keymer in the fourth round, Carlsen spoke about the state of his mind: “Progressing in the World Cup is one thing... but honestly since day one, I was wondering what am I doing here, why am I spending all this time playing classical chess which I just find stressful and boring. But it’s also not a good state of mind. First of all, you should try to do well. But these were my thoughts. If I’d lose, that’s going to be another humiliation in the World Cup."

Then, after beating Vasyl Ivanchuk in both classical games in round 5, he spoke about how he isn’t “normally known for being merciful”.

Carlsen doesn’t like to lose. So he’ll still prepare well but no one quite knows which side of the bed he will get down on. He could throw a new idea your way or simply decide to grind. So much depends on his mood but despite the swings, the boredom, and the torture, he remains the one to beat.

Gukesh was part of the same team, SG Alpine Warriors, as Carlsen during the 2023 Global Chess League and has spoken about how the 32-year-old was like the perfect teammate. The players were comfortable around him and his presence would invariably lead to discussions, which he was happy to be part of, about positions. So, in a sense, he won’t be intimidated. He isn’t facing a stranger.

He has beaten Carlsen last year in Meltwater and then again in Norway Blitz. But classical is different because it allows the best to take their time, cut down on mistakes and chase perfection; perfection that Carlsen so often seems to find.

Carlsen had given up the world title because he wanted a new challenge, and the new wave of players will give him exactly that. He's beaten the old guard into submission and he's probably inspired to do the same against the youngsters too.

At the very least, Gukesh will have realistic expectations. When in the zone, Carlsen is nigh untouchable in the classical format (he went undefeated for 125 games from July 31, 2018, when he lost to GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in Biel to October 9, 2020, when he lost to Jan-Krzysztof Duda) and he seems to be finding some rhythm again.

This won't be easy for Gukesh but, on the flip side, he's got nothing to lose. For him, this match presents an opportunity to shine on the big stage against one of the best players of all time. For him, it is a chance to affirm that his recent rise isn't a flash in the pan. The scale of the challenge is great but this too is a wall that must be climbed. At the end of the day though, this isn't a battle of chess any more than it is one of nerves. Nothing more, nothing less.