Gukesh clear favourite to be world champ: Magnus
Hindustan TimesMagnus Carlsen is at peace. Five time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen during inauguration of 6th TATA Steel Chess India tournament at Taj Bengal in Kolkata, India, on Tuesday. He’s been the world’s top player for 13 years, and was world champion for a decade before voluntarily relinquishing the title in 2022 over a “lack of motivation to play classical chess”. Gukesh made history by becoming the youngest player ever to win the Fide Candidates tournament this April, fending off a field packed with the world’s top chess players, including Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi and his own compatriots – R Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi. “At the moment I probably have the most fun playing Gukesh.” Just to be clear, he added hastily, “I don’t think there’s anybody in the world who would be a favourite to beat me.