D Gukesh is 'universally accepted as world champion': Indian Grandmaster hits back at critics

While D Gukesh’s ability to defend his World Chess Championship crown is being questioned, Indian Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan has come out in his defence.

Two back-to-back poor outings in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 have put chess world champion D Gukesh under increased scrutiny over his recent World Championship win. However, amid the growing criticism, Indian Grandmaster and coach Srinath Narayanan has thrown his weight behind Gukesh.

Gukesh became the youngest world chess champion at 18 after beating
Ding Liren of China in December last year. However, Gukesh’s victory was criticised by former world champions Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik
for its perceived lack of quality.

Since becoming the world champion through a classical format competition, Gukesh has been mostly busy playing in the inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, which is played in the Fischer Random or Chess960 format.

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