Gukesh Became World Champion by Chance, Says Chess Legend Anatoly Karpov Former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov has publicly questioned the legitimacy of D Gukesh’s recent world championship title, claiming the 19-year-old Indian player secured the crown through “accident.” In an interview with the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, Karpov, who was celebrating his upcoming 75th birthday, suggested that Gukesh’s victory over Chinese player Ding Liren was not a result of skill but rather a series of errors. Karpov stated that Ding had lost a critical game that he should not have lost, which allowed Gukesh to claim the title. Karpov’s remarks echo similar criticisms from other prominent Russian figures in the chess world. Earlier this year, when Gukesh became the youngest world champion in history at age 18, former world champion Vladimir Kramnik expressed skepticism on his X account, writing, “No comment. Sad. End of chess as we know it.” Kramnik’s comments were widely interpreted as a dismissal of Gukesh’s credentials. Additionally, Andrei Filatov, president of the Chess Federation of Russia, accused Ding of intentionally losing the match to Gukesh and called for an investigation by FIDE, the sport’s governing body. The controversy surrounding Gukesh’s title has been further fueled by Kramnik’s public critiques of the quality of play during the world championship match. After Game 6 of the contest between Gukesh and Ding, Kramnik lamented the low level of chess, stating, “Frankly, I am very disappointed by today’s game. Even Game 5 was not extremely high level, but today it was really — for a professional — it was really weak play from both players.#anatoly_karpov #d_gukesh #ding_liren #komsomolskaya_pravda #vladimir_kramnik
