Qualifying for Candidates a huge achievement: Gukesh

Gukesh will join Praggnanandhaa and Vidit among the eight men in Toronto, making it the first time that there will be three Indians at the Candidates (Open)

Gukesh D termed his qualification for next year’s Candidates tournament as a "huge achievement", ticking off "the most important goal" the 17-year-old had set for himself this year.

Gukesh D likes to plan his moves ahead of time.

The Indian Grandmaster secured the spot after the conclusion of the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Samarkand on Saturday. He remained atop the 2023 FIDE Circuit leaderboard, a position he had surged to after winning the Chennai Grand Masters earlier this month. And with his closest rival, Dutch GM Anish Giri, unable to do enough at the world event to dislodge the Indian, Gukesh officially sealed his spot for the prestigious event in Toronto in April 2024 as one of the eight men that will battle to take on China’s Ding Liren in the next World Chess Championships.

“Qualifying for the Candidates was surely the most important goal for me this year. I was already thinking about it the previous year, and I really wanted it make it this year," Gukesh told this paper from Samarkand. “Surely, it's a huge achievement for me, as it would be for any chess player. It's a dream tournament, and I'll try to give my best at the Candidates.”

There would also be a sense of relief as the teen, admittedly, felt the pressure of chasing his big goal. In the first half of this year, he seemed on course to qualify through the Circuit route that offers a spot to the player who achieves the highest results during 2023’s eligible tournaments. However, a dip in form thereafter made Gukesh almost give up on his Candidates dream until the event in Chennai — the home boy had to win it in order to stand a chance of qualification — saw him put in a "clutch" performance and revive his drive.

“At some point, I was in a really good place (to qualify for the Candidates) but then, partly because of the pressure I think, I slipped a bit. It looked very unlikely that I'll make it," Gukesh said. “But the Chennai tournament was a very important one, and I'm very happy that I managed to give a clutch performance there and make it to the Candidates.”

Gukesh will join compatriots R Praggnanandhaa, 18, and Vidit Gujrathi, 29, among the eight men in Toronto, making it the first time that there will be three Indians at the Candidates (open). Gukesh believed the historic first reflects the health of Indian chess currently and the scope it carries for the future.

“It's very nice that there will be three Indians at the Candidates. It's a huge achievement for Indian chess in general. Indian chess seems to be going in a very good direction. I hope that it will be even better in the future," he said.