Vishy Anand slams critics of D Gukesh’s chess world title win: ‘Ding’s blunder didn’t occur in a vacuum’

Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand has hit again on the critics of latest world champion D Gukesh together with world No.1 Magnus Carlsen who had questioned the classical chess format and the 18-year-old’s victory over Chinese language Grandmaster Ding Liren within the World Chess Championship 2024.

Gukesh defeated Liren within the remaining Recreation 14 final month in Singapore
to develop into the youngest chess world champion of all time. The World Chess Championship 2024 was heading towards the tie-breakers after the match was tied at 6.5-6.5 earlier than Ding made a last-ditch blunder on transfer 55. The 55.Rf2 transfer allowed Gukesh to win the match with an additional pawn within the king pawn ending.

Ding’s pricey blunder led to harsh criticism from some former world champions together with Russian Vladimir Kramnik who even labelled the outcomes because the
“Finish of chess as we all know it”.

5-time winner, Carlsen, questioned
utilizing classical chess to determine the world champion. “It’s exhausting to say precisely what measures the most effective participant general. I’d say that proper now, if you would like the type of chess during which you want probably the most well-rounded sport, classical chess might be the worst method as a result of it’s kind of too forgiving. It’s too straightforward to masks the deficiencies in your sport,” he stated.

Anand silences Gukesh’s critics

Whereas criticism isn’t going to finish, five-time world champion and former no.1, Anand, has give you the most effective reply for Gukesh’s detractors. The 55-year-old FIDE vice-president defined that the 55.Rf2 mistake by Ding didn’t occur in a vacuum fairly it was manufactured by Gukesh’s relentless attacking sport.

“Gukesh by no means actually modified the technique of pushing. Sudden issues occurred through the match, however he was there the subsequent day, pushing once more. The rook [blunder] didn’t occur in a vacuum,” Anand stated at an occasion not too long ago.

Earlier Gukesh had additionally proven nice maturity in dealing with the criticism as he stated that the standard of the sport shouldn’t be at all times a very powerful factor in a world championship however “willpower and character” are equally essential.

“I get that possibly in a few of the video games, the standard was not excessive however I feel the world championship matches are determined not purely by chess however by who has the higher character and who has the higher willpower. And I feel these qualities, I did present fairly effectively,”
he instructed BBC after creating chess historical past.

After skipping the 2024 World Fast and Blitz Championships, Gukesh
will return to motion with Tata Metal Chess Match 2025 on the Wijk aan Zee within the Netherlands which can begin on 17 January.