“Magnus Who?” Gukesh’s Relentless Run at Croatia 2025 Impresses Even Kasparov
First Published: 4th July, 2025 19:58 IST
Gukesh’s road to the Carlsen clash was just as impressive
“Magnus who?” That’s the question buzzing across the chess world after Indian teenage sensation D Gukesh stunned world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen with a masterclass performance at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025. The victory wasn’t just another win, it came with the ultimate stamp of approval from one of the game’s greatest icons, Garry Kasparov.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Kasparov, the former world champion and one of the most revered names in chess, was doing live commentary during the match and began heaping praise on Gukesh even before the 18-year-old forced Carlsen to resign.
“He’s a player that’s hard to beat. Gukesh has many lives in each game. You have to beat him many times. There is some resemblance to computers,” said Kasparov during the broadcast. Kasparov said, “He’s probably the most resilient player. Even Magnus has other advantages. But when it comes to resilience, Gukesh is absolutely amazing.”
Kasparov, who famously battled IBM’s Deep Blue in the ’90s, said Gukesh reminded him of a machine because of his unbreakable focus and ability to recover in tough positions. Referring to their earlier clash at Norway Chess, he said, “I don’t recall Magnus ever losing a game when he had an advantage of +3 or +4. With computers, you lose concentration and you’re dead. With Gukesh, you have to beat him five times.”
Gukesh’s road to the Carlsen clash was just as impressive. After suffering a disappointing first-round loss to Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who was one of his seconds during the World Championship last year, Gukesh bounced back in style. He went on to defeat four elite players in a row: Alireza Firouzja (a pre-tournament favourite), R Praggnanandhaa (in the hottest form of his career), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (a close rival), and Fabiano Caruana (the defending champion at Zagreb). Then came the big one, Carlsen.
What made Gukesh’s performance even more remarkable was how he managed his time. Known for his deep calculations that often land him in time trouble during fast-paced games, Gukesh showed a different side in Zagreb. Not only did he outplay his opponents on the board, but he also stayed ahead on the clock, finishing endgames against Caruana and Carlsen with more time remaining than his rivals.
When asked if Gukesh had changed his style to suit rapid formats, Kasparov clarified, “This is not about style. He’s getting more comfortable.”
The SuperUnited tournament may be far from over, but Gukesh has already made one thing clear, he’s not just a classical chess prodigy anymore. He’s a threat in every format, and no one, not even Magnus Carlsen, is safe.
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