D Gukesh faced Viswanathan Anand numerous times at the recently held Global Chess League in Mumbai. The pair first met in the group stage, with Gukesh representing Alaskan Knights and Anand for Ganges Grandmasters.
Gukesh lost the first game and then drew in the second against Anand. Then in the third-place match clash, Gukesh lost in a rapid game, before drawing in the blitz tiebreak. In the final blitz game, Gukesh ended up beating Anand, helping his team claim the third spot.
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Speaking on the official GCL broadcast, Gukesh opened up on his experience of playing against Anand, his idol. "It’s kind of tricky to play against him, is what I realized. For me, it’s like you’re playing against God. I’ve always seen him in that sense. So when playing against him, I have to bring up this killer instinct, which is kind of tough to bring against him. I just have too much respect for him, I think," he said.
"He was also playing quite sharp. Obviously, I had at least three winning positions, and then he was just playing very fast. I kind of hesitated here and there, and then in blitz, you know how it goes—it just goes like that. But okay, luckily, at least in the final game, I didn’t lose," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"He was also playing quite sharp. Obviously, I had at least three winning positions, and then he was just playing very fast. I kind of hesitated here and there, and then in blitz, you know how it goes—it just goes like that. But okay, luckily, at least in the final game, I didn’t lose," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Gukesh will next be in action at the upcoming World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha. The rapid section is scheduled to begin on Friday. He will be hoping to end his year on a strong note after having a very inconsistent campaign in 2025. Since becoming the world champion, he has been under immense pressure and has also failed to build a streak of victories. Although 2025 did see him get some wins against Magnus Carlsen.