Vidit Gujrathi responds to D Gukesh criticism with ‘Norway Chess’ remark in ‘FIDE vs. Freestyle Chess war’ statement

Since D Gukesh defeated Ding Liren to become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion in history, there has been plenty of debate regarding the Indian GM's credibility with the title. After his victory vs Liren last year, the World C'ship received criticised from the likes of Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik, who criticised its quality.

Then Gukesh silenced his critics in January, coming second at the Tata Chess Masters in Wijk aan Zee. But then his run of good form ended at Weissenhaus, where he endured a winless streak and came eighth. Then in Paris, he failed to even qualify for the knockouts, which has led to question marks over his Freestyle Chess skills.

Also Read: D Gukesh opens up on early financial struggles, maintains cautious approach on Freestyle Chess: ‘It was quite difficult'

The criticism on Gukesh has been a big debate lately, and has conincided with Freestyle Chess’ ongoing tussle with FIDE, over a Chess960 World C'ship. Speaking to India Today, Indian GM Vidit Gujrathi weighed in on the issues, and felt they weren't inter-related.

“I think these two issues are quite different. As for Gukesh, it’s too soon to judge. He’s just achieved the world championship title, and he had a strong performance at Wijk Aan Zee. Classical chess is clearly his strength, and I think the upcoming Norway Chess in May will be a good test for him. It’s well known that Gukesh hasn’t paid as much attention to other formats, and it takes time for him to adjust. So, he probably still needs more time to adapt to Freestyle and other formats. But I’m sure he wants to excel in all of them because, to be a true world champion, being proficient across all formats is expected. I’m confident he’s highly motivated to improve in that area,” he said.

“As for the FIDE vs. Freestyle war, I haven’t delved into the details much, but any conflict that doesn’t contribute to the sport’s growth isn’t ideal. I hope they can come to an agreement because I don’t think it has to be about choosing between classical chess and Freestyle chess. Both can coexist, and if they can figure out how to make that work, it would be great for the sport,” he added.

Gukesh is the current India No. 1 and will also face Magnus Carlsen in a classical chess showdown in Norway this year.