After Norway Chess, Caruana Weighs In on Gukesh’s Place Among Elites
Fabiano Caruana, the American Grandmaster and former world title challenger, recently commented on D Gukesh, the teenage Indian chess prodigy who became the youngest classical world champion in history. Despite Gukesh’s meteoric rise, Caruana offered a balanced take during a recent episode of the C-Squared Podcast.
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Caruana, who overtook Gukesh in the latest FIDE ratings after the Norway Chess tournament, acknowledged that Gukesh is performing at a high level:
“You can’t say Gukesh isn’t playing close to his best classical chess — that would just be dishonest.”
However, he pointed out that consistent title wins haven’t followed the same trajectory as Gukesh’s rapid rating climb. According to Caruana, strong performances alone don’t guarantee greatness — they must translate into trophies.
Chess’ Changing Guard
Caruana’s remarks join a broader conversation in elite chess circles about whether Gukesh is ready to be considered among the all-time greats. Previous critiques from Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura — both top-ranked and highly influential — have also raised doubts about whether the new generation is as formidable as it seems.
At Norway Chess, Caruana defeated Gukesh in the final round, helping Carlsen clinch his seventh title. Ironically, Gukesh had bested Caruana in an Armageddon game earlier in the same event — on his 19th birthday, no less.
The Verdict?
Gukesh has the talent, no doubt. But as Caruana hints, whether he can sustain it and consistently challenge for top honors remains to be seen.
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