Javokhir Sindarov seems so happy playing chess, that inspires me: D Gukesh

Reigning world champion D Gukesh has found an unlikely source of inspiration ahead of his World Championship title defence: his challenger Javokhir Sindarov. The Indian world champion spoke of being struck by the 20-year-old Uzbek’s ability to enjoy chess and have fun while competing at the highest level.

“One thing that I learned from Sindarov is that he seems to be so happy while playing chess, while doing a lot of fun stuff. I think that's inspiring for me also,” Gukesh said during a conversation with Viswanathan Anand and ChessBase India’s Sagar Shah. Gukesh will play Sindarov in the World Chess Championship match, starting November 24.

The 20-year-old Uzbek, a self-confessed Counter-Strike junkie, has never been shy about his love for video games. During the Candidates Tournament, after drawing his 12th-round game against Hikaru Nakamura, Sindarov spoke of plans to rest and play Counter-Strike. He previously spoke of spending three to four hours a day on the game during a period when his contemporaries were immersed in chess training. For Gukesh, who is trying to rediscover the joy of playing chess, Sindarov's ability to switch off and have fun can seem appealing.

Gukesh has been struggling with his form for a while now. “Clearly, so far I've not been able to handle it in the best possible way,” he said in the conversation that was shot ahead of the Fide Chess Olympiad in September. “There have been major setbacks and also most of us including me understand that you know these things are not some chess mistakes or chess weaknesses because the positions I got in Chennai for example I would won in my sleep. Obviously, there is something to do with a lot of expectations and a lot of pressure”

He seems to have zeroed in on a way to deal with the slump. He has been seen catching a movie with fellow chess players, horse riding, posting savage comebacks to trolls and offering the world a glimpse of his playful side. “Right now, I'm trying to prioritise fun. I'm trying to be happy every day, smile every day.”

Anand, who has won the world title five times across formats, pointed out the nature of the match can make players act differently. “Perhaps what is worth repeating is that in a World Championship the players will do things that they won't normally do because the stakes are high. You'll also play worse than you usually do. Both are possible. The swings are higher because they lot of pressure. It's a very intense event. It'll definitely take you take a toll and thinking you’ll have control is maybe a hard thing. You should be ready for very unexpected things to happen.”

Gukesh, though, believes that his match experience could count for something. “I think we have (Sindarov and him) similar strengths and weaknesses and it's about you know who manages to stay in good shape and is able to handle and absorb the pressure and deliver when the day comes and a huge advantage is that I do have more experience. I played a world championship. I've been in the I've been playing regularly the top since the start of 2023. I think the extra couple of years would count for something. I also know how it feels to be in those 18 days (of the match), what kind of things you go through and it helps that the last match went down to the last game. Even though there are pros and cons of having played a match, I feel if I make some clever choices and prepare in the right way, I would be able to bring my best.”