‘Gukesh won title by accident’: Former world champion Karpov sparks controversy

New Delhi: India’s young chess star Gukesh has come under criticism from former world champion Anatoly Karpov, who claimed his title depended more on luck than dominance. Gukesh defeated Ding Liren to become the youngest world champion, but some voices, especially from Russia, questioned the quality of the victory.

Criticism from former champion

“First, Indian chess players became [champion] By chance, because he shouldn’t have won the match against the Chinese player [Ding Liren]. The Chinese players lost a game there that they shouldn’t have lost. Without him, the Chinese player would still be the world champion. “Karpov told Russian media KP.RU. This isn’t the first time such criticism has surfaced. Former champion Vladimir Kramnik reacted strongly earlier, writing: “No comment. Sad. Chess as we know it is over.” He also criticized the quality of play in the match, saying: “To be honest, I am very disappointed with today’s game (game six). Even the fifth game was not of a very high level, but today for professional players, the performance of both players was very weak. It is a very disappointing level.”He added, “It was such a strange game. Both players made one mistake after another, strategic mistakes. It was like they didn’t realize where they were. Maybe I’m old-school, but it’s very basic! Of course, they are both great players and great calculators. Their calculation skills are outstanding.“But I expect more from the World Championship, like ideas! Humanized gameplay, humanized concepts! If I want to enjoy chess as a computational game, I’d rather watch the Chess Engine World Championship!”

Mr. Ding’s response

Amid Gukesh’s criticism, Ding Junhui himself also adopted a calm attitude after losing to Gukesh. “I’m enjoying where I am right now. I mean, being an inactive player, rarely playing in the Elite Invitational. I’m enjoying this rare downtime,” he said in a recent interview.He added, “I also play some online games occasionally: it doesn’t require grueling pre-match preparation, just being fully focused on the moment. The process itself is rewarding.”