Gukesh's chess world title credentials questioned by former Carlsen aide: 'Challengers and champion are roughly the same'

Magnus Carlsen’s former main second has questioned D Gukesh’s ability to defend his chess world title in 2026. Jon Ludvig Hammer said that the challengers at the moment are as good as the world champion at the moment.

Norwegian chess grandmaster Jon Ludvig Hammer is the latest to question D Gukesh’s credentials, as he feels the current world champion is not as special as compared to the potential challengers. The 34-year-old Hammer feels that having a world champion who is significantly better than others lends more “legitimacy” to the title of the world champion and that is not the case with the Indian Grandmaster Gukesh.

Gukesh won the World Chess title in December 2024
after beating China’s Ding Liren in a 14-game Championship. At only 18, Gukesh is also the youngest chess world champion of all time. He qualified for the World Chess Championship 2024 by winning the FIDE Candidates at the age of 17, which is another record.

Nonetheless, the teenage world champion has faced multiple criticisms since winning the Championship, including that from five-time champion Magnus Carlsen,
who vacated the title in 2022.

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