Bengaluru: World chess champion Gukesh is grappling with the pressures of his title, finding it challenging to enjoy the game he loves. In a recent interview, he opened up about his struggles with motivation and the weight of expectations.
As he prepares to defend his title in six months, Gukesh spoke about the difficulties of managing his ambitions and staying objective on the board. He acknowledged that his strengths have been controlling him, and he needs to work on being more disciplined and controlling his ambitions.
Gukesh also talked about the importance of self-control and managing expectations, citing his tendency to push too hard in games and play himself into trouble. He emphasized the need to be more relaxed around results and make peace with whatever happens.
When asked about his World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov, Gukesh revealed that he enjoys listening to music and spending time with his friends, who are not chess players. He also mentioned that he is still working with his mental coach Paddy Upton to improve his mental aspect of the game.
Gukesh acknowledged that finding a new goal to chase after achieving the World Championship has been difficult, but he is trying to connect with the sport from within and find a new source of motivation.
Despite struggling to enjoy chess right now, Gukesh emphasized that he still wants to spend time with the game and learn something new every day. He believes that connecting with the game is the reason he wants to continue playing, and he is trying to find a way to make it enjoyable again.
