‘Gukesh will not be favorite in World Championship match if…’: Magnus Carlsen makes sturdy prediction

Norwegian chess legend
Magnus Carlsen
has shared his sincere ideas about Indian grandmaster D Gukesh, who received the 2024 World Chess Championship. Carlsen, who just lately misplaced a match in opposition to
Gukesh on the 2025 Norway Chess
, said that the 19-year-old would lose his title if he had been to play a sport in opposition to Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, or Ian Nepomniachtchi at current.

Carlsen shares his sincere ideas about Gukesh

Whereas praising Gukesh’s achievement, Carlsen stated that different prime gamers like Nakamura, Caruana, or Nepomniachtchi can be the favourites if that they had received the Candidates and confronted Gukesh in a World Championship match proper now.

Chatting with Chess24 forward of the ultimate day of Norway Chess, Carlsen stated, “I feel if Hikaru (Nakamura) or Fabi (Caruana), or in all probability Nepo (Ian Nepomniachtchi) for that matter, win the Candidates they’d be, in the meanwhile, they’d be a favourite in a match in opposition to Gukesh. Hikaru’s come shut twice. He’s nonetheless extraordinarily good so there’s no motive why he couldn’t.”

“Gukesh confirmed on this event he’s on observe, he’s doing improbable, however he’s not forward of observe,” Carlsen maintained even after the top of the 2025 Norway Chess.

Carlsen on his efficiency at Norway Chess 2025

Carlsen additionally mirrored on his personal efficiency on the Norway Chess, which he finally went on to win regardless of dropping his Spherical 10 sport to Arjun Erigaisi. Gukesh completed third, whereas Caruana took the second spot within the males’s occasion after their sport ended within the American’s favour. He admitted that his loss to Gukesh in an earlier spherical affected his aim of getting an ideal event.

“Truthfully, it might have meant rather a lot to me if I had completed off the sport in opposition to Gukesh after which performed a very good event. Now, no matter what occurs, it might type of be like a little bit of stumbling right into a win,” Carlsen stated.

He defined that even when he ended up profitable the event, which he did, it wouldn’t really feel as satisfying anymore. “There’s a excellent likelihood that I don’t win the event, but it surely truthfully wouldn’t make that large of a distinction to me. The dream of enjoying a very good event burst with that sport. In fact I need to win, but it surely’s not that vital,” he stated.

“I needed a rating that displays the actual fact I feel I’m nonetheless considerably higher at chess and since I couldn’t obtain that, a possible event win wouldn’t imply as a lot.”

MAGNUS CARLSEN is the 2025 Norway Chess CHAMPION! 🔥 🔥

📷 Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen & Kjetil V. Tveito #NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/J2dGMWeCP7

— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) June 6, 2025

Norway Chess 2025 Last Standings

2. Magnus Carlsen – 16

3. Fabiano Caruana – 15.5

4. D Gukesh – 14.5

5. Hikaru Nakamura – 14

6. Arjun Erigaisi – 13

7. Wei Yi – 9.5